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Summary

Remains of a post Medieval leat which supplied water from both Dry Lake and O Brook to the Dry Lake dressing floors at Hexworthy Mine. An archaeological field survey in 1996 found the leat channel now to be dry and silted, but in good condition. It extended from Dry Lake and flowed northwest along the contour, until meeting O Brook, which would have further augmented the supply. After crossing the river it then travels northeast for 200m before terminating in a large linear reservoir. The reservoir measures 75m long and consists of a bank or dam of 2m in height, defining the front of the wedge shaped hollow of up to 12m wide. The sluice opening, on the eastern end of the bank, released water onto a stone launder embankment, which is aligned coaxially with the dressing floor wheel. The embankment is exceptionally well-preserved standing to a maximum height of 2.3m. The stone cladding of the sides is almost intact and the central leat channel is still clearly defined.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX67SE186
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1065042
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX67SE/265

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 4363-4364 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Leat extending from a tin streaming area at SX 65877096 to SX 66087076 where it appears to join another leat SX67SE/263. Visible on 1946 RAF aerial photograph. Length approximately 300m.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

The leat has been partly depicted by Richardson.

Butler, J., 1993, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Four - The South-East (Monograph). SDV337765.

The leat has been partly depicted by and Butler.

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

(10/01/1996) A leat channel, now dry and silted, which supplied water to the wheels and dressing processes at the Dry Lake dressing floors and drew water from both Dry Lake and O Brook. The channel which survives in good condition, captured water from Dry Lake at SX 66077082 then to flow north-west along the contour, until meeting O Brook, which would have further augmented the supply. After crossing the river it then travels north-east for 200m before terminating in a large linear reservoir at SX 65977116. The reservoir is approximately 75m long and consists of a bank or dam of 2m in height, defining the front of the wedge shaped hollow of up to 12m wide. The sluice opening, on the eastern end of the bank, released water onto a stone launder embankment, of 33m in length, which is aligned coaxially with the dressing floor wheel. The embankment is exceptionally well-preserved standing to a maximum height of 2.3m. The stone cladding of the sides is almost intact and the central leat channel is still clearly defined.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7100 - Holne Moor Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project

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