MSO10476 - Post-medieval leat south of Pinkworthy Pond (Monument)

A linear earthwork is visible as a channel and bank; this is a leat dating to the early 19th Century and is directly associated with the construction of Pinkery Pond. It may have been built at the same time as the dam, or after completion.

A grass covered eroded bank was noted during a non-intrustive walkover survey of the proposed mire restoration area on The Chains, undertaken by South West Archaeology as part of the Exmoor Mires Project. This bank is approximately 2 metres wide at the base and 1 metre high, with a ditch on the west side which measures approximately 2 metres wide and 0.5 metres deep. The bank runs roughly southwest away from the west end of the Pinkworthy Pond Dam (MEM22686) for approximately 90 metres until it is possibly eroded by drainage or quarrying activity. The base of the ditch appears to be just below the level of the top of the Pinkworthy Dam. Numerous quarries are seen above and below this feature, which is very eroded in places with rushes growing in the ditch. It was thought that the feature might be a short section of uncompleted leat. [1] The Historic Environment Officer for the Exmoor Mires Project undertook a non-intrustive walkover survey of the proposed mire restoration area on The Chains, which included this site. Noted was a linear earthwork running for 65 metres southwest of Pinkworthy (or Pinkery) Pond. It consists of a channel 2 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep, with a bank 1.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high on the southeast side of the dam. It is a leat dating to the early 19th Century and is directly associated with the construction of Pinkworthy (or Pinkery) Pond. It may have been built at the same time as the dam to divert water away from the building work, or after completion if waterlogging became a problem. [2] A large scale metric survey of the Pinkworthy (or Pinkery) Pond environs was undertaken by Hazel Riley in 2012 as part of the Exmoor Mires Project. A linear earthwork was seen which runs for 65 metres to the southwest of Pinkworthy (or Pinkery) Pond. It comprises a channel measuring 2 metres wide and 0.8 metres deep, with a bank 1.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high on the southeast (downslope) side. This is a leat constructed to carry water away from the southeast side of the dam. The leat dates to the early 19th Century and is directly associated with the construction of Pinkworthy (or Pinkery) Pond. It may have been built at the same time as the dam was constructed (by c. 1830) to divert water away from the building work, or after the dam was completed, if waterlogging became a problem. [3]