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Summary

Two dry leats located on the south slope of Hingston Hill. The larger leat had its water source high up Hartor Brook from where it flowed westward before deviating south to cross into Combshead enclosure. From here it follows the contour along the fairly steep south-east facing hillslope through an area of intensive tin prospecting before fading out at SX58176910 on the slope below Down Tor. Its destination is no longer obvious although it clearly supplied water for tin working. The average width of the earthwork is 1.2m by 0.5m deep. There is a sizeable spoil bank on the downslope side measuring 1.5m wide by 0.5m high. The second leat may be traced from just south of the stone row for 220m south before fading out. It measures 1m wide by 0.4m deep with a 1.2m by 0.3m high spoil bank.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1009088: An enclosed stone hut circle settlement and later tin working earthworks, 540m south east of Down Tor

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE366
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1448379
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/519
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/570
• Old SAM Ref: 24080(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (Constructed, Post Medieval to XIX - 1540 AD (Between) to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Newman, P., 1987, The Moorland Meavy - a Tinner's Landscape, 227, 231, fig 5. Leat 9 (Article in Serial). SDV231207.

SX 5920 6925 Leat 9. Leat supplied by Combeshead Brook and supplying openwork SX56NE/513. Runs from SX 5920 6925 to reservoir SX56NE/524. Clear channel travelling through several enclosures, becoming faint at SX 57926920.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 133221 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

SX58426895 Site visited on 25th May 1993. Leat running from above SX58426895 to SX58356902. Leat channel measures 1 metre wide and 0.4 metres deep and the associated bank of material upcast downslope during construction is 1.5 metres wide and 0.3 metres high. The leat cuts through the southern part of an enclosure and although now dry, it would have originally carried water from the upper reaches of the Narrator Brook to tinworks on the western side of Down Tor.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 66, Figure 47.3, Map 47 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Leat shown traversing the southern part of Hingston Hill Prehistoric Settlement.

Newman, P., 2006, Cramber Tor Training Area Archaeological Field Investigation (Report - Survey). SDV233640.

(01/08/2006) SX 5880 6926 Two dry leats located on the south slope of Hingston Hill. The larger leat had its water source high up Hartor Brook from where it flowed westward before deviating south to cross into Combshead enclosure. From here it follows the contour along the fairly steep SE-facing hillslope through an area of intensive tin prospecting before fading out at SX58176910 on the slope below Down Tor. Its destination is no longer obvious although it clearly supplied water for tin working. The average width of the earthwork is 1.2m by 0.5m deep. There is a sizeable spoil bank on the downslope side measuring 1.5m wide by 0.5m high. The second leat may be traced from just south of the stone row for 220m south before fading out. It measures 1m wide by 0.4m deep with a 1.2m by 0.3m high spoil bank.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Part of leat visible on aerial photograph.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7382 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8351 - Walkhampton Premier Archaeological Landscape; Field Investigation Project
• EDV6034 - Monument Condition Survey in Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6152 - Follow-up Works to Threatened Sites in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV6153 - Monument Baseline Condition Survey in the Cramber Tor Training Area
• EDV8711 - Condition Survey of the Cramber Tor Training Area

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