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Summary

Remains of two post Medieval leats which supplied water to the Hexworthy Tin Mine dressing floors and pumping wheel. An archaeological field survey in 1996 found that the longer of the two leats, which is up to 2.5m wide with a maximum depth of 1.5m, drew water from the O Brook, near the foot of the Henroost gully. It follows the contour to the south-east until meeting the openwork where a wooden aqueduct would have been necessary, though no trace survives. Beyond the openwork a branch channel to the pumping waterwheel is visible and the leat terminates a few metres to the northwest of the dressing floor. Iron pipes, used to distribute water to the various processing areas are still visible at this point. A short, second leat which drew water from Hooten Wheals Stream, extends over a distance of approximately 100m. An opening out of the channel near the northern end may represent a small storage reservoir, the flow of water from which was controlled by a sluice gate, where the leat narrows again before terminating to the south of the dressing floor. Wooden vestiges of the sluice gate still survive in place.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SE183
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1065008

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Constructed, Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, P. Newman (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(10/01/1996) Two leats which provided water to the Hexworthy Tin Mine dressing floors and pumping wheel.

The longer of the two leats, which is up to 2.5m wide with a maximum depth of 1.5m, drew water from the O Brook, near the foot of the Henroost gully at SX 65317113. It follows the contour to the south-east until meeting the openwork at SX 65557088 where a wooden aqueduct would have been necessary, though no trace survives. Beyond the openwork a branch channel to the pumping waterwheel is visible at SX 65647086 and the leat terminates a few metres to the north-west of the dressing floor. Iron pipes, used to distribute water to the various processing areas are still visible at this point. A short, second leat which drew water from Hooten Wheals Stream, extends between SX 65677071 and SX 65667080, over a distance of approximately 100m. An opening out of the channel near the northern end may represent a small storage reservoir, the flow of water from which was controlled by a sluice gate, where the leat narrows again before terminating to the south of the dressing floor. Wooden vestiges of the sluice gate still survive in place.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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