The River Meavy is a river in the southwest part of
Dartmoor in
Devon in south-west England. It runs entirely in the national park and connects
Burrator Reservoir to the
River Plym.
Course
The river is 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
Tors may refer to:
* Tor (rock formation), rock outcrops
* Ivan Tors (1916–1983), playwright, screenwriter and film and television producer
* TransOral Robotic Surgery, a surgical technique
See also
* Tor (disambiguation)
* Ten Tors
* Tors Cov ...
near the river.
History
The river is believed to named after an
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain, Anglo ...
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
Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west.
Plymouth ...
.
Burrator Lodge
Burrator is a grouped parish council in the English county of Devon. It is entirely within the boundaries of the Dartmoor National Park and was formed as a result of the Local Government Act 1972 from the older councils of Meavy, Sheepstor and Wa ...
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.
Leisure
The river is popular for
canoeing south of Burrator Reservoir, and is considered an easier course than the upper sections of the River Plym, which are some of the most challenging in Dartmoor. Despite the presence of the dam at Burrator, there is generally a sufficient flow of water.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meavy
Rivers of Devon
Dartmoor