The River Meavy is a river in the southwest part of
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
in
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
in south-west England. It runs entirely in the national park and connects
Burrator Reservoir to the
River Plym
The River Plym is a river in Devon, England. It runs from Dartmoor in the centre of the county southwest to meet the River Meavy, then south towards Plymouth Sound. The river is popular with canoeists, and the Plym Valley Railway runs alongside ...
.
Course
The river is long, and flows in a generally south-westerly direction throughout its course.
It rises at Meavy Head, close to
Princetown
Princetown is a villageDespite its name, Princetown is not classed as a town today – it is not included in the County Council's list of the 29 towns in Devon: located within Dartmoor national park in the English county of Devon. It is the ...
, 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
The River Plym is a river in Devon, England. It runs from Dartmoor in the centre of the county southwest to meet the River Meavy, then south towards Plymouth Sound. The river is popular with canoeists, and the Plym Valley Railway runs alongside ...
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.
History
The river is believed to named after an
Old English
Old English ( or , or ), 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 developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...
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
Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
from the River Meavy towards
Plymouth
Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...
.
Burrator Lodge was built in 1896 for the reservoir owner. It is now a Grade II
listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
. In 2015, the property was put on the market.
Leisure
The river is popular for
canoe
A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles.
In British English, the term ' ...
ing 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