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Summary

Remains of a leat on Roborough Down, running between the Devonport and Plymouth Leats. Visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013. Appears to predate the tramway.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of the World War II RAF Harrowbeer airfield, as well as medieval fields and farms, industrial tin working, sections of the Devonport and Plymouth Leats, and part of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Tramway on Roborough Down

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SW/65
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XIX to Unknown - 1823 AD (Pre))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4199-4200 27-FEB-1946; RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3178-3179; 3217-3218 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Leat is visible on the 1940s aerial photographs, although northern and southern ends are unclear. Map object based on this source.

Fairy Surveys Ltd, 1969, 6963/7/697 (Aerial Photograph). SDV269622.

Leat is visible on the aerial photograph.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Remains of leat visible on Roborough Down running between the Devonport and Plymouth leats and partly visible on aerial photographs.

Griffiths, D. M., 1986, Leat on Roborough Down, 30/04/1986 (Worksheet). SDV269621.

Remains of leat visible on Roborough Down running between the Devonport and Plymouth Leats and partly visible on aerial photography. Consists of channel approximately 0.6 metres wide at base and 0.3 metres deep, with material upcast on east side. Course has been traced as far as SX51756560 where it seems to disappear into the improved field south of Chub Tor. Another stretch north of Chub Tor (SX51946612 – SX52016622) may belong to it.
Follows the 600 foot contour for much of its route. No date suggested although it appears to predate the tramway, which dates to 1823.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Leat is visible on the aerial photography, although less clear in wooded areas than on the earlier aerial photography. Map object based on this source.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5064; SX5164; SX5165 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Narrow curvilinear ditches, circa 1.5m wide, which define two sections of a leat are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013. The northern section extends from SX52006621 to SX51936611 and is visible to a length of circa 135m. A similar curvilinear feature is visible 8 to 12 metres to the east of this ditch and may be an additional leat or trackway. The southern section is visible to a length of circa 1.5km and extends from west of Whitefriars (circa SX51656550) where it follows the southern side of Devonport Leat along the 180m contour, before terminating at the A386, where it possibly re-joins Devonport Leat (circa SX50886455). The course of the leat towards its western extent is unclear and possibly diverges into two channels.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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