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Summary

Prison Leat running from SX574795 (at the River Walkham) to SX584741 near to the prison in Princetown, a distance of 6.5 kilometres. The leat was built between 1806-09 to supply the war prison and soldiers' barracks. It was maintained until the 1990s, when South West Water took over responsibility for the water supply. Surveyed and recorded in the Dartmoor Trust Leats Project.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork and walling remains of streamworking and tinners buildings associated with the post-medieval Wheal Prosper Tin Mine on Langstone Moor
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of post-medieval streamworking associated with Wheal Prosper Tin Mine north-west of Blackabrook Head
• SHINE: Earthwork remains of Medieval or later streamworking and 19th century Naphtha Tramway and granite quarries north and west of Princetown Prison

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NE119
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1065830
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NE/100
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1809 AD (Between))

Full description

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

‘Prison Leat’ depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (approximately 1880s in date).

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2475 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 3165 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

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

Prison leat flowing southwards from River Walkham at SX57487951 between Conies Down and Black Dunghill on the east and Cocks Hill, Greena Ball, and Great Mis Tor on the west. Leat runs mainly between 1475 and 1500 feet on the western side of the valley.

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

(16/09/1994) A leat built to supply the prison at Princetown carries water some 6km from the head of Blackbrook River to the reservoirs in the prison grounds (NGR SX 57438000 to SX 58367411). The leat is constructed from granite blocks which form a channel, 3m wide and 0.4m deep; it is still used to supply the prison.

Rendell, P., 1994, Which way to Cockerntor?, 3-4 (Article in Serial). SDV220303.

The 'Prison Leat' was built in the 19th century.

Joy, R., 2002, Dartmoor Prison A Complete Illustrated History Volume 2 The Convict Prison 1850-Present Day At Her Majesty's Pleasure, 148-9 (Monograph). SDV359843.

The canal, now called the prison leat, was built from 1806-09 as the water supply to the war prisons and soldiers' barracks. The man responsible for the canal lived in an old hut beside the canal. The leat was maintained to a high standard up until the 1990s, a system which lasted for about 185 years until responsibility for the water supply passed to South West Water.

Probert, S. A. J., 2002, Dartmoor Prison Farm, Devon. An Archaeological Survey and Evaluation, 4, fig (Report - Survey). SDV364452.

[1065830] SX 57387749 The Prison Leat runs for some 3.2km within the prison grounds and extends north for a further 3km to its source on Spriddle Lake, a tributary of the River Walkham. The leat channel measures, on average 1.5m wide and is largely stone-line. Breaches in the higher sections have reduced the amount of water carried to a trickle and the reservoir once supplied by this feature is nearly dry. The latter lies directly in front of the prison entrance but is inaccessible due to dense vegetation.

Stanbrook, E., 2002, Dartmoor's War Prison & Church 1805-1817, 85-86 (Monograph). SDV359848.

A leat was constructed to supply the war prison taken off the River Walkham, which was further supplemented by the Spriddle Lake, about 4 miles north of the prison. The head weir is an interesting feature with elaborate stone work and the straightening of a small stretch of the river. The leat culminated in a reservoir to the west of the prison buidings.

Newman, P., 2004, Merrivale Range Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV346874.

(10/08/2004) The upper section of the leat from Walkham Head to Blackabrook is now disused and dry.

Dartmoor Trust and Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2010, Dartmoor Trust Leats Project 2009-2010 (Report - Survey). SDV347530.

Prison Leat surveyed and recorded between SX574795 - SX584741 (Walkham - Blackabrook). Appears dry at low water levels but flows at higher levels. Understood that head weir is damaged. Interesting reservoir structures at prison end. Public access over most of its length. Hydro potential. Other details: T:\Dartmoor Leats Survey / Q:\MAPDATA\HISTORIC\LeatsProject.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Merrivale Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361635.

The Prison Leat, now disused, was built to supply water from the Blackabrook to Dartmoor Prison. The dry cutting is lined with granite blocks in places.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7441 - Condition survey of the archaeological sites of Merrivale Training Area
• EDV7570 - Condition survey of Merrivale Range training area
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8713 - Merrivale Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8714 - Survey of Dartmoor Prison Farm (Ref: AI//37/2002)
• EDV8813 - Archaeological and historical investigation of Peat Cutting on North-Western Dartmoor

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