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Summary

The leat, also known as Drake's leat, was originally constructed in 1589-1591 by Sir Francis Drake and carried water from the River Meavy to Plymouth. It was widened in 1867.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1463430
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX46SE/34

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Constructed, XVI - 1590 AD (Between) to 1591 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, 1838-1848, Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848 (Cartographic). SDV349431.

A watercourse is shown.

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

A watercourse labelled as ‘Plymouth Leat’ is shown.

Hicks, H. R., 1942-1946, Drake's Weir, Tavistock, 299 (Article in Serial). SDV33306.

Plymouth Leat. Total length runs from Burrator, SX551-680-, to Plymouth, SX469-541-. Sir Francis Drake was granted 200 pounds sterling for its construction and gave permission to erect and work six mills along it for 67 years. Location of mills not given.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, RAF/106G/UK/1190 RP 3174-3176; 3194-3196 27-FEB-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363067.

Narrow curvilinear ditches are visible as earthworks.

Taylor, S. R., 2009, Avon SWW Pipeline, Devon: Archaeological Mitigation Archive report, 12, Fig. 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV364052.

A section was cut through the leat for the Avon SWW pipeline at the southern edge of Area CP1 [c.SX50765 63265]. It was noticed that the leat had been previously cut and repaired using original stone but with modern cement and concrete.
The leat was originally constructed in 1589-1591 by Sir Francis Drake and carried water from the River Meavy to Plymouth. It is also known as Drake’s Leat. It was widened in 1867. It is this surface, of concreted granite cobbles, that was visible on either side of the section, the widening having removed all traces of the original leat. Although sections of the base of the 1867 leat were concreted, the concrete base revealed in CP1 base it thought to be the result of a more recent service trenching.

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.

Narrow curvilinear earthwork ditches, circa 1m wide, are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946. The earthworks correspond to a watercourse on the mid-19th century Parish Tithe Map and late 19th century Ordnance Survey map, on which it is labelled as 'Plymouth Leat'. Only the earthworks that fall within this project area have, however, been transcribed. The monument polygon for this leat also terminates just beyond the south-western extent of this project area. Earthwork ditches associated with the Dartmoor section of Plymouth Leat (MDV19108) have been attributed to that record.

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)
• EDV6704 - Archaeological Investigations Along the Route of the Avon Water Main Renewal. Avon Pipeline Scheme

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