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Summary

20th century leat, an extension of a 19th century leat which served the Birch Tor / Vitifer and Golden Dagger mines further to the north.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX68SE148
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 917723
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX68SE/311

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XIX to Early 20th Century - 1801 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

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

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

Greeves, T. A. P., 1986, Tin Mines and Miners of Dartmoor, A photographic record, 45-74 (Monograph). SDV351363.

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

(06/07/1990) SX 6853 8003: C20th leat, an extension of a C19th leat which served the Birch Tor/Vitifer and Golden Dagger mines further to the N.
The C19th leat is depicted in use in 1883 and 1904 (historic maps) turning W from its previous southerly course to an aqueduct at approx. SX 6841 8027, a point now in Soussons Plantation. This point is shown as the end of an "old leat" in 1952. It continues in the plantation SSE of this point, entering open ground on Challacombe Down at SX 6853 8003. The stretch on open ground was examined in detail as part of RCHME's Challacombe Farm evaluation. Here, a sharply-cut, steep sided channel 0.8m wide at base and 0.7m deep with an upcast bank of earth and stone on the W side 2m wide and 0.8m high, cuts across earlier tin extraction debris [see SX 68 SE 147] and leads to a cistern and iron pipe [SX 67 NE 116] which in turn fed the early C20th tin dressing floors and engine house at SX 6885 7990 (Greeves, T., 1986).
The leat is joined by a second leat {SX 67 NE 113] at SX 6858 7996 where there is the remains of a concrete sluice separating both leats from a channel heading off at a 90 degree angle W into Soussons and onto the valley floor. This feature, a trench 0.8m wide and 0.7m deep, probably diverted water away from the cistern when not required at the dressing floors/engine house.
Surveyed (part) at 1:2500 with SX 67 NE 111.

Passmore, A., 2000, Golden Dagger tin mine, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV305928.

After forestry felling the route of the leat to the c.1903 stamping mill sx68se/296 could be traced. The leat to the wheel sx68se/181/1 turned 90 degrees from the launder leat embankment. The second leat may have led to an earlier mill or is a channel taking water back to redwater stream (passmore).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7390 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7402 - Archaeological condition survey in Soussons Woods
• EDV7431 - Woodland Survey (1989-90) at Bellever, Soussons and other woodland parcels
• EDV8423 - Duchy Farms Project

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