ORIGIN - River Meavy - Princetown, Devon
Posted by: 
SMacB
N 50° 32.713 W 004° 00.081
30U E 429051 N 5599732
The source of the River Meavy, Princetown, Devon.
Waymark Code: WMT8X2
Location: South West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/16/2016
Views: 2
Meavy head is marked on maps just above the mires etc to the left of the Devil’s Elbow on the way to Princetown. This mire is in the tinner’s stream workings. The workings continued through the wood and up the side of North Hessary Tor. In fact the highest point from which water flows into the Meavy is in these open works.
From here it flows south towards Burrator where its waters are captured in the reservoir. It forms the outlet from Burrator reservoir and journeys down past the villages of Meavy, Hoomeavy and Goodameavy before flowing into the River Plym just before Shaugh Bridge.
"The river is 15.9 kilometres (9.9 mi) long, and flows in a generally south-westerly direction throughout its course. It rises at Meavy Head, close to Princetown, and flows across Walkhampton Common, through Norsworthy and adjacent plantations, and into Burrator Reservoir. It leaves the reservoir at the main dam, and flows past the village of Meavy before joining the River Plym at the upper end of Bickleigh Vale. The entirety of the river is inside Dartmoor National Park.
Most of the valley surrounding the river's southern section is wooded, and has been described as a semi-neutral ancient woodland. The north section, beyond Burrator Reservoir, is less covered as it is towards the centre of Dartmoor and features several rock tors near the river.
The river is believed to named after an Old English word, meaning "lively stream". The village of Meavy is in turn named after the river.
Drake's Leat was a watercourse constructed in the 16th century to transport drinking water from the River Meavy towards Plymouth. Burrator Lodge was built in 1896 for the reservoir owner. It is now a Grade II listed building. In 2015, the property was put on the market."
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