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Summary

A former leat which is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch maps of circa 1880s-1890s and 1904-6. The section to the south of Docton Farm is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of April 1946 and more recently. It flowed into a pond in the yard from which water was taken to power machinery in a mill building adjoining a range of barns on the south side of the yard.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

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

A leat is depicted, but not annotated.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

A leat is shown entering the farmyard at Docton Farm from the south. It flows into broadly triangular pond in the yard from which it runs back into the stream to the east. The pond butts against a small square building which forms part of the range of buildings on the south side of the yard.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158, DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5125-6 19-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349143.

An earthwork water channel is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1959, RAF/58/2984, NMR RAF/58/2984 F21 0033-0034 30-JUN-1959 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349064.

The channel remains visible as a low earthwork.

Ordnance Survey, 1978, OS/78038, NMR OS/78038 239-239 10-MAY-1978 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349082.

Only the southern extent of the earthwork remains visible.

Next Perspectives, 2007, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS2420-2421 01-AUG-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349382.

A cropmark is visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011-2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A former leat, as depicted on the Ordnance Survey 25 inch map of circa 1880s-1890s, is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of April 1946 to the south of Docton Farm, with which it was probably associated. The curvilinear earthwork is visible for almost 200 metres, roughly following the course of the 150 metre contour from the point where the leat taps stream to the south-east. The leat remains visible as a low earthwork on aerial photographs of 1959. By 1978 only the southern half of the former watercourse is visible on aerial photographs. By 2007 the course of the leat is visible only as a subtle cropmark.

Hobbs, S., 2024, Docton Farm Mill, SJH84 (Worksheet). SDV366376.

The leat entered the yard from the southern side where there was a pond to the south-east of the present farm house. There were barns to the southern edge and a mill to the east. The water ran from the pond into the mill building which is built at the edge of a steep bank. The pond would have held enough water for a short period of milling.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital). [Mapped feature: #143640 ]
SDV336179	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011-2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349064	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1959. RAF/58/2984. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/58/2984 F21 0033-0034 30-JUN-1959.
SDV349082	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78038. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR OS/78038 239-239 10-MAY-1978.
SDV349143	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). DCC RAF/3G/TUD/UK/158 5125-6 19-APR-1946.
SDV349382	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref: SS2420-2421 01-AUG-2007.
SDV366376	Worksheet: Hobbs, S.. 2024. Docton Farm Mill. S. Hobbs Worksheet. Digital. SJH84.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project (Ref: ACD383/2/1)

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