Long Ash Leat on Dartmoor
A leat is a man-made watercourse or stream designed to move water naturally, following the contours of the ground, to wherever it is required, whether that is a farm, a quarry, a mine or other industry. It is thought that the dozens of leats on Dartmoor add up to several hundred miles. One branch of the Long Ash Leat, which is on the western side of Dartmoor, fed water to Long Ash Pits, which were possibly medieval or earlier tin workings where tinners collected alluvial deposits of tin along stream beds. Tin mines were generally developed much later. This shot was taken at Four Winds, just off the Tavistock to Princetown road.
There was once a local school here, on the far side of the stone enclosure. This was attended by the children of families working in local quarries and agriculture. Foggintor School opened in 1914 and at one point had over 80 pupils. But as employment opportunities declined so too did the size of the school roll. The school finally closed down in July 1936 when the decline in the quarry industry reduced the number of families in the area. The buildings were not finally demolished until the 1960s.
Having seen photos of the school I was interested to see that it was built in brick. I suspect this stone enclosure is a much earlier structure that was taken over and used by the school, though I have not been able to find any further details.
Long Ash Leat on Dartmoor
A leat is a man-made watercourse or stream designed to move water naturally, following the contours of the ground, to wherever it is required, whether that is a farm, a quarry, a mine or other industry. It is thought that the dozens of leats on Dartmoor add up to several hundred miles. One branch of the Long Ash Leat, which is on the western side of Dartmoor, fed water to Long Ash Pits, which were possibly medieval or earlier tin workings where tinners collected alluvial deposits of tin along stream beds. Tin mines were generally developed much later. This shot was taken at Four Winds, just off the Tavistock to Princetown road.
There was once a local school here, on the far side of the stone enclosure. This was attended by the children of families working in local quarries and agriculture. Foggintor School opened in 1914 and at one point had over 80 pupils. But as employment opportunities declined so too did the size of the school roll. The school finally closed down in July 1936 when the decline in the quarry industry reduced the number of families in the area. The buildings were not finally demolished until the 1960s.
Having seen photos of the school I was interested to see that it was built in brick. I suspect this stone enclosure is a much earlier structure that was taken over and used by the school, though I have not been able to find any further details.