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Summary

Leat dates to at least the mid-late 17th century and pre-dates the Bradford Pool Leat. Also taken off the Walla Brook north of Watern Tor, it follows the contours around Kennon Hill before feeding the Forder Brook. Leat extends across peat cutting areas at Gartaven Ford.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68NW/97

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Constructed, XVI to XVII - 1600 AD? (Between) to 1699 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2082, 4380-1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV221887.

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

Possible leat extending across peat cutting areas. It possibly ends at streamworking area sx68nw/79, but it is not clear from the 1947 raf ap.

Brewer, D., 1992, The Gidleigh Mill and Bradford Tinworks Leats Part One, 8-9 (Article in Serial). SDV361925.

Author recounts details of the 17th century dispute over water rights here, culminating in a court case in 1699 between the Lord of the Manor of Gidleigh and the tinners of Bradford Pool. Discussion over the course of the leats including Gidleigh Mill Leat (MDV27708) and proposed sketch map of routes over the moor included.

Brewer, D., 1992, The Gidleigh Mill and Bradford Tinworks Leats Part Two, 24-25 (Article in Serial). SDV361926.

Further discussion of the route of the leats and historical disputes.

Bodman, M., 2015, Mills on the Teign. A gazetteer of water-powered sites on the Teign and Bovey and their tributaries, 72 (Monograph). SDV360401.

Medieval leat to power the mill at Gidleigh Mill at SX 6740 8874 ran from a spring in Watern Coombe via Wildtor Well, past Headon Hill, to Ruelake Pit and Whitemoor Marsh dropping down to the Forder Brook. By the 17th century this leat was no longer active and has since vanished from the landscape in places. Sometime after the 16th century a 12-mile long leat was constructed to Bradford Tinwork in Drewsteignton, leading off the Gallaven Brook near Rival Tor and supplemented by a leat from the Walla Brook. It respected the Old Gidleigh Mill by taking water from lower down the two streams.

Moss, M. W., 2015, The Bradford Tinwork Leat and Its Route: Through Enclosed Ground, 160- (Article in Serial). SDV361921.

The Gidleigh Mill Leat pre-dates the Bradford Pool Tinwork Leat influenced its course. Also taken off the Walla Brook, north of Watern Tor, it contours around Heddon Hill, mingles briefly with the Gallaven Brook at Gallaven Ford, before contouring around Kennon Hill, then feeds into Forder Brook. The route is described in historical documents from the late 17th century. (See article for further detail).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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