Posts Tagged ‘leat’
New Section of Drake’s Leat Uncovered
With a new volunteer workday leader at the helm, DPA Conservation Volunteers have expanded their work on Drake’s Leat, where it crosses Roborough Common. Stephen Barrow has years of experience leading butterfly workdays on Roborough Common, during which bracken and self-seeded saplings are controlled to maintain habitat for rare fritillary butterflies, and he now brings…
Read MoreGorse Clearance at Drake’s Leat
After days of rain, our Conservation Volunteers were delighted to be back out on the land, clearing gorse from the historic Drake’s Leat. Built at the end of the 16th century, Drake’s Leat is a mostly stone-lined watercourse which was dug by hand to transport water 17 miles from Dartmoor to the growing port and…
Read MoreUncovering Drake’s Leat
On Friday 12th of September the DPA Conservation Volunteers returned to Drake’s Leat (or Plymouth Leat) where it crosses Roborough Down. Autumn workdays on this site focus on the clearance of plant growth, which can quickly engulf the historical feature of the leat. If left unmanaged, gorse, bracken and bramble will not only obscure the…
Read MoreDrake’s Leat Bracken Cutting
June 2023 – The first bracken cutting event of the season for the Volunteers on Drake’s Leat last Friday, with ponies as interested spectators! Roborough Earthworks and around 250m of leat cleared in the day, a good effort by all. Photo taken by Ken McGuire
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