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Summary

The Reddaford Leat runs from its take-off from River Tavy at Tavy Cleave and travels to the Wheal Jewell Reservoir; a distance of over 5.0 kilometres. It also continues southwards (partly via the Cholwell Brook) to supply the mines at Wheal Jewell, Wheal Friendship and Wheal Betsy. Surveyed and recorded in the Dartmoor Trust Leats Project.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Structural remains of buildings and machinery, as well as earthwork and buried remains of features relating to the Wheal Friendship Mine, Mary Tavy, worked between 1700-1925

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SW70
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1143688
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SE/30

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• LEAT (XVIII to Early 20th Century - 1751 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))

Full description

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

‘Mine Leat’ depicted on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (approximately 1880s in date).

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

‘Mine Leat’ depicted on the Second Edition Ordnance Survey map (approximately 1905-7 in date).

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/2149, 2490,2491,2492,2493 (Aerial Photograph). SDV282746.

Ordnance Survey, 1954, Untitled Source (Cartographic). SDV345535.

"Mine Leat (Aqueduct)" recorded on Ordnance Survey (1954) map. Runs from area of tin workings at Willsworthy Range south-west to Wheal Jewell then on to Cholwell and Wheal Betsy.

Harris, H., 1968, Industrial Archaeology of Dartmoor, 213 (Monograph). SDV149229.

The Reddaford Leat, flowing partly through Peter Tavy parish then into Mary Tavy, starts from the southern bank of the river at the bottom of the steep slopes of Ger Tor. For its first 0.5 miles it keeps close to the course of the river itself. At Nattor, it leaves sight of its parent water course and turns to run north westwards for about 1.5 miles, then roughly westward another mile around Willsworthy, and a similar distance almost due south before turning west again in to Mary Tavy parish to Wheal Jewell.

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

Leat recorded during the Arial Photograph Project.

Richardson, P. H. G., 1992, The Mines of Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley after 1913, 36 (Article in Serial). SDV323598.

A leat supplying Wheal Jewell, Wheal Betsy and running on to Wheal Friendship via the Cholwell Brook.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(11/07/1998) Survey of section SX 55018301 to SX 52578177. The Reddaford Leat within the extent of the Ministry of Defence freehold at Willsworthy. This feature, originally a mine leat, is owned and maintained by South West Water and now feeds a small hydro-electric plant at Mary Tavy. It begins on the right bank of the Tavy downstream from Tavy Cleave and flows some 5km before feeding into the Wheal Jewell Reservoir.
The origin of this leat is unknown but it is depicted on the Ordnance Survey first edition 1:2500 map dated 1884.

Probert, S., 2001, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon. Integrated Land Management Plan Implementation: Archaeological Condition Baseline Survey Appendices 2-5 (Report - Survey). SDV357727.

(15/02/2001) No change.

Greeves, T., 2007, Reddaford Farm, Willsworthy: An Archaeological and Historical Survey, 32, Figure 29 (Report - Survey). SDV360294.

Reddaford Leat from the River Tavy.

Dartmoor Trust and Dartmoor National Park Authority, 2010, Dartmoor Trust Leats Project 2009-2010 (Report - Survey). SDV347530.

Wheal Jewell Leat, Mary Tavy surveyed and recorded flowing between SX550830 - SX522812. (Tavy) Big leat, strong flow, part of Mary Tavy Power Station system, owned and maintained by SWW. Mostly on open country, the upper section is a popular walk from Lane End into Tavy Cleave. Feeds Wheal Jewell reservoir, then piped to power station. Other details: T:\Dartmoor Leats Survey / Q:\MAPDATA\HISTORIC\LeatsProject.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Mine Leat shown on modern mapping. There may be a weir and/or sluice gate at the point where the leat is taken off the River Tavey at Tavy Cleave.

Waterhouse, R., 2017, The Tavistock Canal. Its History and Archaeology, 242, fig 6.74 (Monograph). SDV361789.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

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