Plymouth, Water Supply

PLYMOUTH
DATA

The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History

WATER SUPPLY

Plymouth's early water supply came from natural resources like streams and wells. Many of the names of the wells have been recorded in local streets names, viz. Finewell, Holywell, Ladywell and Westwell.

Then in 1559-60 Plymouth Corproation asked for a preliminary survey to be carried out for the purpose of bringing fresh water to the Town. However, the proposal was soon shelved and it was not until 1576 that a proper survey was undertaken.

Plymouth's water supply came from streams and wells until replaced by man-made leats like the one pictured here.

It was concluded that the River Meavy and its surrounding watershed provided the ideal source. A Water Bill was submitted to Parliament in 1584 and it was passed into the hands of a committee which included Sir Francis Drake. This was the first documentary evidence of his association with the leat that would later bear his name. The Bill received the Royal Assent on March 29th 1585 and construction of the Plymouth or Drake's Leat began in 1589.

Prompted, it is thought, by the success of the Plymouth Leat, the inhabitants of Stonehouse copied the Plymouth Act and submitted their own Bill to Parliament in 1593. It was considered by a Parliamentary Committe that consisted of, amongst others, Sir Francis Drake, promoter of the Plymouth Leat, of course. This may have led to the inclusion by the Committee of a proviso that no mills were to be constructed upon or near the Leat that might prejudice or damage the persons owning the mills upon the Plymouth Leat, namely the aforesaid Drake.

Their Act receievd its Royal Assent on April 10th 1593 and work began the following June to bring the water from a spring that flowed into Millbrook Lake, near Torr, some three miles distant. The Stonehouse Leat would feed its water to the Mill Pool at Millbridge.

Devonport's water supply owed its existence to the fact that by 1780 the population of Plymouth Dock (Devonport as it was to become in 1824) was greater than that of neighbouring Plymouth. Many times things got so bad in the Town that they applied to Plymouth for water, which was usually refused. Plymouth Corporation always claimed that the supply from their leat was only just enough for themselves.

Eventually, in 1790, a scheme was put forward that would take water from three streams high up on Dartmoor and bring it by means of a leat to a reservoir for the sole use of Dockers. Suddenly Plymouth Corporation changed their attitude and declared that their leat could supply both Towns. Not surprisingly, Dockers were unimpressed.

In due course a Bill was lodged in Parliament for the construction of a leat from the Blackabrook, Cowsic and West Dart streams. It would serve all the naval and military establishments of both Dock and East Stonehouse. The Plymouth Dock Water Works Act received the Royal Assent on December 17th 1792 and on July 24th 1793, the contract was awarded. Although water seems to have been carried along the Devonport Leat by 1797 the works were not completed until 1801.