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Summary

The Brook Mill leat was constructed to serve Brook Mill, Tavistock, to supplement the flow of the Tiddy Brook. Route of the leat from its take-off point at Beckamoor Brook to Tithingmans Land via Plasterdown shown. Part of the course corresponds with the Grimstone and Sortridge Leat.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57SW/80

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XVIII to XIX - 1751 AD to 1899 AD (Between))

Full description

RCHM APP 1985, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV269085.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV269086.

Aph=raf cpe uk 1890 1828(10/12/1946).

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 1828 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

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

Section of east-west leat visible on 1946 aerial photograph on the eastern slope of Plaster Down. From boundary of Plaster Down Camp at SX 51527244 to SX 51117235.

Williams, C., 2020, Brook Mill Leat, Fig 1 (Un-published). SDV155051.

The original leat was dug by the miller at Brook Mill to augment the flow of the Tiddy Brook. When the quarry at Heckwood cut off the water supply from the Beckamoor Brook, a new leat was dug from the Walkham. Later, this leat was adopted to serve as the Grimstone and Sortridge Leat.
The currently named Grimstone and Sortridge leat may have been dug to supply Brook Mill via Tiddy Brook. Documentary sources record litigation by the two parties (Grimstone Mill and Brook Mill), first as plaintiff and then as defendant during the 18th century and into the 19th century, when in 1827, Brook Mill had a sworn statement from its miller that they had full use of the water since 1771. Grimstone maintained that the Duchy had given permission for the water in 1725. After the latter litigation, the name Grimstone Leat may have been accepted. Sortridge only appears once in the records and then as a pot water user (citing J. Robins, 'Brook Mill Leat', Dartmoor Magazine, Issue 24, p9).
Route of the leat depicted from SX 5425 7399: leat take-off at Beckamoor Brook near Heckwood Quarry, to where the leat enters Tithingmans Land at SX 5111 7233. See report for full details.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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