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Summary

A series of now dry leats running in a generally north-south direction both sides of the Merripit heat along the slopes of Stannon Hill.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthwork remains of a series of leats running north-south on Stannon Hill, including on running all the way to Postbridge and an area of medieval cultivation ridges

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE127
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 917511
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/303

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Greeves, T. A. P., 1983, Middle Merripit Survey Drawing (Plan - measured). SDV321106.

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

(29/06/1989) SX 6510 8000. The remains of a series of now dry leats (1 to 10 an attached plan) running in a generally N to S direction both sides of the Merripit heat along the slopes of Stannon Hill. They appear in the W. form the flat marshy ground adjacent to the Stannon Brook about 350m OD up to the brow of Stannon Hill in the E. about 405m OD.
They are in varying states of preservation from the well defined e.g.
(1) and (2) in the W. 1.5m to 2m wide and 0.3m maximum depths with banks on their downhill sides 2m to 3m wide and 0.5m maximum height, others, predominantly in the E, are ill defined, even appearing in some places like paths or sheep walks. Some start in rough grass and heather moorland on the E. side of Stannon Brook south of Stannon and N. of the Middle Merripit Farm boundary wall, heats (1) to (5) seem to have been continuous features, but are destroyed, probably by ploughing, beyond their present southern terminations, (6) (7) and (9) are much shorter but were possibly originally of similar lengths to the others having been unfilled or destroyed by ploughing. (8) is a short section of interconnecting leat but (10) is unusual in that it cuts quite steeply and obliquely down the slope and although it appears very similar to the others it is about 1m wide with bank 1.5m wide 0.2m high on the downhill side) it is too steeply angled for a leat and may well be a later drainage feature.
The purpose of the leats is rather enigmatic. They may have been, like Merripit heat and Hartyland heat, pot water leats for buildings to the S. or, more likely, a catch-meadow system of irrigation, possibly utilising water from a line of springs centred at SX 6525 8012.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8648 - Middle Merripit Farm, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8649 - Little Stannon Newtake, Duchy Farms Survey
• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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