View source for Devonport Leat

{{Short description|Leat in Devon, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2017}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=June 2015}}
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| name                = Devonport Leat
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| caption             = Devonport Leat looking East towards Cramber Tor at Raddick Hill Falls
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The '''Devonport Leat''' is a [[leat]] in [[Devon]] constructed in the 1790s to carry fresh drinking water from the high ground of [[Dartmoor]] to the expanding dockyards at Plymouth Dock (which was renamed as [[Devonport, Plymouth|Devonport, Devon]] on 1 January 1824).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartmoorcam.co.uk/cam/previouswalks/2013-2-10_LEATS/Leats-Devonport.htm|title=Devonport Leat, 1801 (Two short extracts from the 37 pages of the Act (for supplying... water), and extensive details of The head-waters of Devonport Leat... ''It is not unusual for newcomers to the subject to be confused, poring over maps, trying to discern the origins of Devonport Leat.'') |publisher=dartmoorcam.co.uk |author=Keith Ryan|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

==Feedwaters==
It is fed by five Dartmoor rivers: the [[West Dart River|West Dart]], the Cowsic, the Hart Tor Brook, the [[River Meavy]] and the Blackabrook (this last apparently was the first portion to supply Plymouth Dock).

[[File:Aqueduct 2.JPG|thumb|upright|Aqueduct on the leat near Burrator Reservoir over the River Meavy]]

==Construction==
Dartmoor [[granite]] was used to construct the water channel, as well as a small [[Aqueduct (bridge)|aqueduct]] and a tunnel.

==Historic changes==
It was originally designed to carry water all the way to Plymouth Dock, a total distance of {{convert|27|mi|km}}, but has since been shortened<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dartmoorpreservation.com/conservation-work/devonport-leat |title=Devonport Leat conservation project|publisher=Dartmoor Preservation Association, Friends of Dartmoor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313073555/http://www.dartmoorpreservation.com/conservation-work/devonport-leat |archive-date=2012-03-13 |url-status=usurped|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref> and the operational part of the leat now stops near the [[Burrator Reservoir]] dam. Some of the water goes through underground pipes to the water treatment works at [[Dousland]]; the rest goes into the Burrator Reservoir which provides most of the water supply of Plymouth. For part of the route to Dousland the pipes follow the route of the disused [[Yelverton, Devon|Yelverton]] to [[Princetown]] Railway. Before the piped supply to Dousland was installed, the water was used for a [[hydroelectric]] turbine near Yelverton Reservoir and fed by a {{convert|12|in|mm|adj=mid|-diameter}} pipe.

==Route==
[[File:Devonport Leat map.png|thumb|Route of Devonport Leat (blue); dashed red line shows edge of Dartmoor National Park]]
The Devonport Leat begins a short distance to the north of [[Wistman's Wood]]<ref>{{coord|50.5802|-3.9620|display=inline|region:GB_scale:10000}} Start of Devonport Leat  near Wistman's Wood</ref> at an altitude of over {{convert|410|m|ft}} and twice passes close to [[Two Bridges, Devon|Two Bridges]]<ref>{{coord|50.558011|N|3.965667|W|region:GB_type:landmark|format=dms|display=inline}} Two Bridges- the leat passes immediately to the north of Beardown Farm and then returns to pass again to the west of Moor Lodge</ref> (following the contours up the Cowsic valley in between) before heading towards [[Princetown]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.richkni.co.uk/dartmoor/leat.htm|title=Dartmoor Walks: Devonport Leat (A pictorial record of a walk)|author=Richard Knights|publisher=richkni.co.uk|access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref> Its water supply now ends up in [[Dartmoor reservoirs|Burrator Reservoir]].<ref>{{coord|50.497|-4.040|display=inline|region:GB_scale:5000}} Burrator Reservoir</ref> It follows a meandering path across the moor, carefully selected by engineers to follow the natural contours of the land.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/leats_moor.htm|title=The Leats of Dartmoor|publisher=legendarydartmoor.co.uk|date=21 March 2016|author=Tim Sandles |access-date=8 April 2018}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Drake's Leat]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite book   | last = Hawkings  | first = David J.  | title = Water from the Moor  | publisher = Devon Books  | year = 1987  | pages = 50–71  | isbn = 0-86114-788-X}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Devonport Leat}}

[[Category:Dartmoor]]
[[Category:Aqueducts in England]]
[[Category:Industrial archaeological sites in Devon]]