See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Remains of a 19th century or earlier leat which was a branch of the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mine leat and supplied a waterwheel at Wheal Caroline. An archaeological field survey in 1990 recorded that the leat could be traced from its initial junction 520 metres east of the Merripit outer enclosure wall, to a reservoir on the southwest slope of Water Hill, 270 metres north of Statts Bridge. The leat comprised of a well defined channel with almost vertical sides, with an average width of 2 metres and depth of 0.8 metres. An upcast bank on the downslope side measured 2.6 metres wide by 0.5 metres high. A small granite footbridge over the leat survives intact 10 metres northwest of the Caroline Farm enclosure. It comprises four slabs of approximately 2 metres in length, placed side by side spanning the leat. The combined width of the slabs is 2.5 metres.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE186
• National Monuments Record: SX68SE413
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 916166
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 916213
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/335

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FOOTBRIDGE (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1899 AD (Between))
• LEAT (Constructed, XVIII to XIX - 1800 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Leat depicted. Map object based on this source.

Robins, J., 1983, Follow the Leat (Monograph). SDV352718.

SX66268109 to SX66828086. A dry silted leat channel, formerly a branch of the birch tor and vitifer mine leat. It can be traced from its initial junction 520 metres east of the Merripit outer enclosure wall, to a reservoir on the south-west slope of Water Hill, 270 metres north of Statts Bridge, between 445 metre to 430 metre OD. The leat consists of a well defined channel with almost vertical sides which has an average width of 2 metres and a depth of 0.8 metres. There is an upcast bank on the downslope side which measures 2.6 metres wide by 0.5 metres high. It was created to supply a waterwheel at SX66848083, which is part of the Wheal Caroline mine.

The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Unit, 1985, The Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England Aerial Photograph Project (Interpretation). SDV340940.

Leat visible running west to join the Birch tor and Vitifer Mine Leat.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit, P. Newman (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(10/12/1992) SX66268109 to SX66828086. A dry silted leat channel, formerly a branch of the Birch Tor and Vitifer Mine leat (Monument HOB UID 763393). It can be traced from its initial junction 520m east of the Merripit outer enclosure wall, to a reservoir on the southwest slope of Water Hill, 270m north of Statts Bridge, between 445m to 430m OD. The leat consists of a well defined channel with almost vertical sides which has an average width of 2m and a depth of 0.8m. There is an upcast bank on the downslope side which measures 2.6m wide by 0.5m high. It was created to supply a waterwheel at SX66848083, which is part of the Wheal Caroline Mine (Monument HOB UID 920265) (Robins 1984, 84).
A small granite footbridge over the leat survives intact at SX66738118 10m north-west of the Caroline Farm enclosure. It consists of four rough slabs of approximately 2m in length, placed side by side spanning the leat. The combined width of the slabs is 2.5m.
The leat is depicted on OS maps but is incorrectly annotated as a 'drain' (OS 1:2500).

English Heritage, 2005, Leats Survey Information (Report - Survey). SDV347529.

Leat recorded.

Ordnance Survey, 2013, MasterMap, 916213 (Cartographic). SDV350786.

Map object based on this source.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.