Where does drakes leat start?
It began at a point now under water at Burrator Reservoir, from which its path now emerges some 10m lower than the typical reservoir water level. It was one of the first municipal water supplies in the country.
When was Drake’s Leat built?
1589 and 1591
The ditch is the Plymouth or Drake’s Leat. It was built by Sir Francis Drake between 1589 and 1591 to take water from Dartmoor to Plymouth and thus ensure the city had a reliable water supply. A superb engineering achievement, it was extremely successful, continuing its job until Burrator reservoir was built in 1893.
In what year did Plymouth Corporation begin building the Plymouth Leat?
The Plymouth leat was built 1589-91 under the provisions of an Act of 1585 which authorised the construction of a 6 or 7 foot ditch or trench from the River Meavy to the town. The work was substantial and well known (famously involving Sir Francis Drake).
Where does Devonport Leat start?
The Devonport Leat begins a short distance to the north of Wistman’s Wood at an altitude of over 410 metres (1,350 ft) and twice passes close to Two Bridges (following the contours up the Cowsic valley in between) before heading towards Princetown. Its water supply now ends up in Burrator Reservoir.
When was the Devonport Leat built?
1795-1802
The Devonport Leat was constructed from 1795-1802 to supply water to Plymouth Dock (known as Devonport after 1824). The leat takes water from the West Dart, the Cowsic and the Blackabrook rivers to the north of Princetown and is over 43 kilometres in length.
What is a leat stream?
A leat (also lete or leet, or millstream) is the name, common in the south and west of England and in Wales, for an artificial watercourse or aqueduct dug into the ground, especially one supplying water to a watermill or its mill pond.
Where does Drake’s Trail start in Yelverton?
The start of this trail is Drakes Leat, starting from above Burrator reservoir on Dartmoor.
How does a leat work?
Leats are used to increase the yield of a reservoir by trapping streams in nearby catchments by means of a contour leat. This captures part or all of the stream flow and transports it along the contour to the reservoir. Such leats are common around reservoirs in the uplands of Wales.
What is a mine leat?
Mining. Leats were built to work lead, tin and silver ores in mining areas of Wales, Cornwall, Devon, the Pennines and the Leadhills/Wanlockhead area of Southern Scotland from the 17th century onwards. They were used to supply water for hushing mineral deposits, washing ore and powering mills.
How many Leats does Dartmoor have?
eight main leats
Today on Dartmoor there are eight main leats which still have water flowing along them; The Grimstone and Sortridge leat, Wheal Friendship leat, Wheal Jewell leat, Hamlyn’s leat, Holne Town Gutter, Gidleigh Leat and the Devonport leat.
What is hushing mining?
Hushing is an ancient and historic mining method using a flood or torrent of water to reveal mineral veins. The method was applied in several ways, both in prospecting for ores, and for their exploitation.
What is a Bell Mine?
A bell pit is a primitive method of mining coal, iron ore, or other minerals lying near the surface.
What is tunnel drift?
Drifting refers to the horizontal tunnel that is dug following, for example, an ore vein. It can, however, also be used to describe small exploratory tunnels used to investigate engineering properties of the rock mass.
What is a coal gin?
Waggonway Infrastructure #1 THE COAL GIN The “coal gin” would have been a common sight around #Tranent in the 18th century. Also called a whim gin or horse gin, it is a device similar to a windlass and is used in mining for hauling coal to the surface. # EastLothian #History.
What is a gin horse?
Horse gins were one of the two main methods of bringing coal to the surface in the east of Scotland, the other being coalbearing. There were two types of gin, the earlier type known as ‘Cog and Run’ and the type known as either a ‘Scotch’ or ‘Whim’ gin.