Posts Tagged ‘plymouthleat’
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 MoreOur Land Flows… From Peat to Pipe
This summer, communities in and around Dartmoor and Plymouth will have a new opportunity to find out where the water in their taps comes from. We’re excited to work with Art and Energy to help deliver a series of watery workshops and walks, which have been partially funded by our Public Access Fund. Events will…
Read MoreHuge Length of Historic Leat Cleared
Last week, DPA Conservation Volunteers were joined by volunteers from Babcock International for the final leat workday of the spring. Workdays at Drake’s Leat will now stop during the breeding season for ground nesting birds, allowing many vulnerable species to nest without disturbance. A pause is deliberately worked into our schedule of open moorland workdays…
Read MorePasties on the Leat
On Friday the 12th of December we held our final leat workday of 2025, welcoming our group of enthusiastic Conservation Volunteers back to Roborough Down. Drake’s Leat (or Plymouth Leat) has been a conservation focus for us for many years, as it’s a remarkable feat of construction and an important part of Dartmoor’s built history.…
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…
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