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HER Number:MDV28265
Name:Mill leat, Meavy

Summary

Mill leat supplying Meavy Corn Mill runs from the River Meavy between Burrator Wood and Bowden's Plantation to the Mill and onwards to empty back into the river east of Lower Meavy Bridge. Leat may be very old; there is said to have been a mill in Meavy for centuries.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 545 673
Map Sheet:SX56NW
Admin AreaDartmoor National Park
Civil ParishMeavy
DistrictWest Devon
Ecclesiastical ParishMEAVEY

Protected Status

  • SHINE: Earthwork and structural remains of the Meavy Corn Mill leat which may be medieval or post medieval in date

Other References/Statuses

  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NW/117
  • SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • LEAT (Post Medieval to XVIII - 1540 AD to 1800 AD)

Full description

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

Leat is depicted on the Tithe Map.

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

'Mill Leat' is depicted on the late 19th century historic map, supplying the Meavy Corn Mill.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Leat shown on the early 20th century historic map, running to the Corn Mill.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1190, 3240-3245 (Aerial Photograph). SDV340833.

Visible on the aerial photograph.

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

Leat visible on Royal Air Force 1940s aerial photograph and recorded in project.

Exeter Archaeology, 1996, Archaeological assessment of South West Water Burrator to Crownhill water main upgrade, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV273792.

Site of Meavy Mill leat. SX 5505 6750. This is a point some 100 metres below the point where it came off the River Meavy. A mill is known to have existed at Meavy in the late 16th century and the 1887 historic map records the sluices at its origin. The mill is believed to have survived until World War I.

Bayer, O. J. + Sage, S. A., 1997, Archaeological recording on the South West Water Burrator to Crownhill Main water upgrade: Stage 2, 2 (Report - Survey). SDV273785.

Photographic record of undisturbed areas to the east and west leat measured 1.45 metres wide by 0.75 metres deep with a flat base. It was faced with rough granite slabs measuring up to 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres by 0.2 metres. At the point where it was breached by the pipeline, the leat crossed a north-east by south-west orientated field boundary, then ran west to the south of the hedgeline on an embankment. Possible sluice to the e of the pipeline where leat crossed a north-south orientated hedgebank.

Hemery, P., 1999, The Book of Meavy. Dartmoor Parish, Village and River, 25 (Monograph). SDV357795.

There is said to have been a mill in Meavy for centuries; the current 19th century mill building (a dwelling since 1949) is a restoration of a previous mill. Water was piped to Meavy Barton farm from the mill leat.

Marchand, J., 2007, Archaeology within Flat Wood and Bowden's Plantation, 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365042.

The mill leat which supplied water to power the former corn mill situated in Meavy village. The water for this substantially built leat was taken in at the weir opposite the foot of Sheepstor Brook in Burrator Woods, the sluice gate is still in situ in the south-east corner of the boundary wall to the Plantation.
The leat is important in the local context. It should be kept visible and clear of vegetation and not damaged in any way.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

'Disused Leat' is marked on the modern mapping, running from the River Meavy at SX551676, via the Corn Mill at the western end of the village to empty back into the River just east of Lower Meavy Bridge.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV273785Report - Survey: Bayer, O. J. + Sage, S. A.. 1997. Archaeological recording on the South West Water Burrator to Crownhill Main water upgrade: Stage 2. Exeter Archaeology. 97.24. A4 Stapled + Digital. 2.
SDV273792Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 1996. Archaeological assessment of South West Water Burrator to Crownhill water main upgrade. Exeter Archaeology. 96.56. A4 Stapled. 2.
SDV319854Cartographic: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. 1985. Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP. Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England Aerial Photograph P. Cartographic.
SDV325644Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV336179Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1880-1899. First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map. First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV340833Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1190. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3240-3245.
SDV349431Cartographic: Devon County Council. 1838-1848. Tithe Mosaic, approximately 1838-1848. Digitised Tithe Map. Digital.
SDV357601Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2015. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped features: #86000 ; #86001 ]
SDV357795Monograph: Hemery, P.. 1999. The Book of Meavy. Dartmoor Parish, Village and River. The Book of Meavy. Dartmoor Parish, Village and River. Hardback Volume. 25.

Associated Monuments

MDV20604Related to: Building above the headweir of Meavy Mill Leat (Building)
MDV59565Related to: Catch meadow south of Meavy Mill leat (Monument)
MDV127268Related to: Former mill buildings, Meavy (Building)
MDV119479Related to: Meadow south of Meavy Mill leat (Monument)
MDV77830Related to: Meavy Barton farm, Meavy (Monument)
MDV5539Related to: Meavy Corn Mill (Building)
MDV80778Related to: The Mill Cottage, Meavy (Building)
MDV102763Related to: Weir south-west of Burrator Farm (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV8836 - Survey of archaeological features in Flat Wood and Bowden's Plantation

Date Last Edited:Sep 13 2022 4:42PM