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Summary

Bovisand reservoir, early-19th century, to provision the navy and other ships in Plymouth Sound, designed by John Rennie at the same time as the breakwater. Visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken from 1940s onwards and depicted on 19th century and later maps.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX45SE/46

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RESERVOIR (XIX - 1816 AD to 1824 AD)

Full description

Rennie, J., 1848, The Plymouth Breakwater (Unknown). SDV155556.

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/871, RAF/106G/UK/871 RV 6110-6111 30-SEP-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351258.

The reservoir is depicted, with a small circular structure in the south-west part.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2105, RAF/CPE/UK/2105 RP 3138-3139 28-MAY-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351151.

The reservoir is depicted, with a small circular structure in the south-west part.

Gaskell-Brown, C., 1980, Industrial Archaeology of Plymouth, 24 (Monograph). SDV29619.

Bovisand Reservoir was begun in 1816 and completed in 1824 to provide a good water supply for the navy and other ships in the sound. It was designed by John Rennie at the same time as the breakwater, and the work was carried out by Whidbey and Stuart. It is located in a deep valley 0.75 miles from the beach. Designed to hold 12,000 tons of water. At one side, a stone culvert was used to divert the stream when the reservoir was drained. The water was carried through cast iron pipes to the wharf and pier at Bovisand Fort where it was used up to the last war.

Naish, J., 1992, Jospeh Whidbey and the building of the Plymouth breakwater, 48 (Article in Serial). SDV155558.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

The boundary of the reservoir is depicted, with the centre marked as 'Pond'.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Bovisand reservoir is visible as a water-filled structure on aerial photographs taken from 1940s onwards, with a small circular structure in the south-west part of the water. It has not been transcribed because it is accurately depicted on 19th century and modern mapping, although the small circular feature is not mapped or visible on modern aerial imagery, so this part has been transcribed.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

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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