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Summary

Lee Moor China Clay Leat running between SX587662 and SX576632, where it empties into Big Pond (approximately 4.4 kilometres in length). Built to serve the China Clay quarries, possibly as early as 1809. Incorporates many foot bridges over Trowlesworthy Warren to accommodate the rabbits. Surveyed and recorded in the Dartmoor Trust Leats Project. The leat is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, remaining clearly identifiable as an earthwork on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014612: Vermin trap 700m ENE of Trowlesworthy Warren House, forming part of Trowlesworthy Warren
• Scheduled Monument 1014472: An enclosure, stone hut circle, rectangular building and `V'-shaped gully 410m east of Trowlesworthy Warren House
• Scheduled Monument 1019082: Multi-period remains at Hentor Warren
• Scheduled Monument 1009573: Agglomerated enclosure with hut circles south-west of Ditsworthy Clam
• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE311
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1400195
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/382
• Pastscape: 1360626

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XIX - 1809 AD to 1850 AD (Between))

Full description

Unknown, Dispute between Bottle Hill Mine and Trowlesworthy Warren, 224-5 (Record Office Collection). SDV165951.

Haynes, R. G., Map of Trowlesworthy Warren (Cartographic). SDV165949.

Ancient Monuments Inspectorate, Untitled Source (Correspondence). SDV165944.

Excluded from schedule 10693.

Unknown, 1842, Map of Trowlesworthy Warren (Record Office Collection). SDV165950.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 4259 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223 Vp2 5144-5145 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 4286 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 2295-2296 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Hemery, E., 1983, High Dartmoor, 209,220,222 (Monograph). SDV249702.

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

Lee Moor China Clay leat, running between 950 and 975 feet. Cuts through agglomerated enclosure (PRN 3343). Enters River Plym at weir, SX58706622. Parallel to leat (PRN 25264).

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 47 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

Leat is working at present. The leat is carried over and augmented by Hentor Brook and Spanish Lake. Recorded in 1825, see West Devon Record Office documents. Its initial construction may be contemporary with the opening of the mine in 1809. Bottle hill mine closed in 1877 but the leat remained in use. Many footbridges have been erected where it crosses Trowlesworthy Warren for the benefit of the rabbits. Dimensions: length Plym - Hentor Brook 830 meters, Hentor Brook - Spanish Lake 1110 meters, Spanish Lake - Blacka Brook (and limit of survey) 1925 meters.

Pye, A., 1992, Archaeological Watching Brief on the ECC Lee Moor works leat corridor in the Upper Plym Valley, 7 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV165953.

Gerrard, S., 1993-2010, Monument Protection Programme Alternative Action Report (Report - non-specific). SDV145710.

Considered under Monument Protection Programme but not recommended for scheduling.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5764-SX5765 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5763-SX5765 03-05-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Dartmoor Trust and Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2010, Dartmoor Trust Leats Project 2009-2010 (Report - Survey). SDV347530.

Lee Moor China Clay Leat surveyed and recorded flowing between SX587662 and SX576632. (Plym – Tory Brook). Take-off at weir. Substantial flow to Big Pond. Closure of quarries planned/implemented - future of leat uncertain. If WBB do not intend to use the water, a decision will be needed whether to close the leat in the interests of migratory fish in the Plym. Other details: T:\Dartmoor Leats Survey / Q:\MAPDATA\HISTORIC\LeatsProject.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

'Lee Moor China Clay Works Leat' marked onto the modern maps.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5763-SX5765 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

The leat is visible as an earthwork ditch.

Kirkham, G., 2014, United Kingdom china-clay bearing grounds: mineral resource archaeological assessment (Report - Assessment). SDV359636.

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.

Approximately the southernmost 830m of the Lee Moor China Clay Leat falls within the South Devon Coast to Dartmoor AI&M survey area and is identifiable as an earthwork circa 2.5m wide on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards. The leat remains clearly identifiable as an earthwork along much of its course on visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 27/08/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

[1400195] SX 59076647 to SX 57706386. The Lee Moor China Clay Works Leat. This maintained leat starts at a headweir on the River Plym and flows generally SW to feed the china clay works in the Lee Moor area (no source recorded in NRHE record).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV7380 - Watching brief on the Lee Moor China Clay Leat (Ref: 92.60)
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• 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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