Conservation work on Devonport Leat
Conservation Volunteers
The project has been enabled by Dartmoor National Park Authority and Roborough Commoners are providing funding to both charities to carry out valuable scrub clearance to a section of the Devonport Leat, extending from near the Yelverton roundabout towards Clearbrook. The section is largely wooded, and scrub and self-seeded trees are invading the leat. The scrub is also making grazing difficult.
Devonport Leat was built to carry water to the expanding naval town of Devonport. It originally covered a distance of 27 miles and was completed in 1802. Today the leat ends its journey close to Burrator Reservoir and still provides Plymouth with up to three million gallons of water a day.
The historic leat is situated close to two other important archaeological sites, Plymouth or Drake’s Leat and the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway.
Peter Tarling of the Roborough Commoners’ Association said:
"Privately owned Roborough Down is an exciting common with a plethora of rare and unique habitats that are crossed by the ancient leats and a tramway. The local Commoners’ Association has recently lost capital works funding for conservation work on these important archaeological sites but nevertheless has decided to meet the cost of the excellent work being carried out by the Dartmoor Preservation Association and the Tavistock Taskforce. This represents a considerable commitment on behalf of the Roborough farming community as the project will take some years to complete".
Keith Ryan, Devonport Leat Project Leader for the DPA said:
"The Dartmoor Preservation Association is pleased to be involved with a new project at the Devonport Leat which aims to achieve improved access for the public and protection for this interesting archaeological feature. This follows completion of a similar scrub clearance project on Drake’s Leat which successfully opened up a walkway alongside the ancient watercourse for nearly two miles across Roborough Down. Regular DPA volunteers were joined by external volunteers from youth groups and the business community from time to time, and the DPA’s conservation team hopes that this will also be the case with the Devonport Leat project".
Peter O’Dell, Director of Tavistock Taskforce said:
"We are a voluntary organisation working with people of all ages and abilities. We are very grateful for the support of Roborough Commoners and the Dartmoor National Park Authority. We are very pleased to be part of this project, helping clear the leat at Clearbrook of gorse and scrub. Our volunteers have recently cleared over 900 metres of the old Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, revealing well over 200 of the original sleepers. New volunteers are always welcome to join us on a variety of projects in Devon and Cornwall".
See more detail of the DPA section of this project:
