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Summary

A leat now dry, runs around the western slopes of Smeardon Down. It is generally about 1m deep and 1m across at the bottom widening to 2m across at the top. It has been scarped into the slope on the uphill side and there is a turf-covered stony bank, 0.4m high and 2m wide on its lower side for most of its length.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX57NW144
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 919299
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/177
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX57NW/246/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

'Leat' shown on aerial photograph transcription - no photo reference given.

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1987-1993, Duchy Farms Project Survey Visit (Report - Survey). SDV350839.

(12/07/1991) SX 5162 7806 (Centre). A leat now dry, runs around the western slopes of Smeardon Down from SX 5175 7832 southwards to SX 5186 7784. The area to the north, under thick scrub in enclosed land, was not investigated but the leat appears to continue northwards for some distance. It is generally about 1m deep and 1m across at the bottom widening to 2m across at the top. It has been scarped into the slope on the uphill side and there is a turf-covered stony bank, 0.4m high and 2m wide on its lower side for most of its length.
At SX 5169 7825 it feeds into a reservoir and at SX 5163 7802 there is a kink in its line where a 20m error in alignment appears to have been made.
At SX 5167 7897 there is a sluice, 4m long, off the south side of the leat and at SX 5178 7788 its line has been broken by a wet gulley and a spring. The leat may have been laundered over this section but there is no ground evidence to substantiate this. It may be that this southwest section of some 70m is a separate leat built as a pot leat for the nearby houses.
The leat appears to have been constructed to serve the now defunct ochre works and treatment plant. (SX 57 NW 145).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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