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Summary

Leats of probable late-19th to early 20th century date are visible on the west facing slopes of Cholwich Town Waste on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthwork ditches. The leats were probably associated with Cholwich Town China Clay Works. The leats were destroyed by the late 20th century expansion of the China Clay Works.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XIX to Mid 20th Century - 1801 AD to 1946 AD)

Full description

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

A single leat is depicted, corresponding to a visble earthwork ditch.

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

A second leat is depicted, corresponding to a visble earthwork ditch.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RS 4254-4255 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Curvilinear ditches and assocaiated structures are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric (Cartographic). SDV350058.

The leats are not depicted and might have passed out of use. Two structures are depicted.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5862 01-JUN-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

The leats have been destroyed by the expansion of the Cholwich Town China Clay Works.

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.

Linear and curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks approximately 1 to 1.5m wide on aerial photographs of 1946, closely following the contours of the west facing slopes of Cholwich Town Waste for up to circa 670m, south of Tory Brook Head.
A ditch corresponds with part of a single water channel depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s First Edition 25inch map. A second corresponding ditch is depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s Second Edition 25inch map, which crossed the first at circa SX5815662173.
The ditches are interpreted as the remains of leats, constructed to abstract water from the Tory Brook to supply water to structures and settling tanks associated with Cholwich Town China Clay Works, recorded as MDV126789 between probably the mid-19th century and 1906.
The clay pits of Cholwich Town China Clay Works located to the north continued to expand in the 20th century, resulting in spoil dumps obstructing a leat shown on OS2 at SX5844962538. The remaining ditches do not correspond with any features depicted on later Ordnance Survey maps but are probably the remains of auxiliary leats constructed to compensate for the obstructed of leat, between 1906 and 1946.
The leats are not depicted on the 1953-1969 National Grid Ordnance Survey A edition Imperial map and might have passed out of use by this time, but on the aerial photographs one of the later leats appear to be associated with structures depicted at circa SX5830262113.
The leats were destroyed by later 20th century expansion of the Cholwich Town China Clay Works.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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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