Dartmoor Explorations

A collection of walks, discoveries, insights and pictures of exploring Dartmoor National Park

Indian Head, Devonport Leat

To many Dartmoor enthusiasts, the Indian Head ‘curiosity’ set into the rendering between the granite blocks forming the south-east lining of the Devonport Leat, a short distance downstream from the aqueduct (aka the Iron Bridge) has been a point of interest to visit when in the area. The author’s first visit to the curiosity was around 40 years ago.

The Indian Head over the years has also been known as the Turks Head or the Dolls Head. For the purposes of this post the author will refer to as simply the ‘head’. Much has been written about this curiosity over the years and the  first literary mention of it may have been in 1982 when John Robins in his book – Follow the Leat, (pages 71/72). That said, there may be other references unknown to the author.

John Robins wrote that: “It is thought to have been put there by one of the French prisoner-of-war when working on the leat, and is typical of the style of doll’s head of the period. One would like to think it was the work of the prisoner”.  He continued being : “Grateful to the Dartmoor National Park Office for this information and to Mr Richard Nicholson and Mr David Hawkins, who both drew my attention to it, though the latter always knew it as the Turk’s Head“. If this information is correct with the first French prisoners arriving  at Princetown in May 1809 and the last ones leaving in 1816 this would date the original”.

Other theories of the origins of the ‘head’ include it being embedded in the wall during repairs that were made to the leat in the 1830’s.

Aside the above, it has been brought to the author’s attention by the well-known and respected Dartmoor guide and historian, Simon Dell that the father of David German (Princetown History Society founder and chairman) observed a workmen putting the ‘head’ in place in 1925. The workman was employed by Plymouth Corporation Water Works (PCWW) and whilst repairing the leat granite lining, decided to place the ‘head’, which he had owned for many years, into the wall. Therefore, it is possible that the romantic notion that the original ‘head’ had 19th century origins may well be from the 20th century. The thought that an ‘Indian Head’ or even ‘Napoleonic Lady’ being carved by a French POW and placed in the leat may well in fact have been a Victorian Doll’s Head placed there, nearly 100 years later.

Fast forward to the 1980s, it has been recorded that the ‘head’ was defaced sometime during 1984 and replaced in 1996. The replacement head was put in place by a young girl who had won a competition that was run by the Dartmoor National Park Authority. The 1996 ‘head’ appears to have disappeared again around 2020.

To complete this story, the author learnt that Simon Dell has now replaced the ‘head’ again, this time in remembrance of (in Simon’s words) ”our late friend David German”, who sadly passed in 2023. Simon, with his granddaughter had several acrylic copies made of a ‘head’ and placed one of them in place in March 2024, which is a lovely fitting tribute.

Bibliography:

  1. Legendary Dartmoor website – Indian Head
  2. John Robins, (1984),  Follow the Leat
  3. Simon Dell – electronic communications (with many thanks)
0. Map
Sketch map showing the approx location of the ‘head’. The author has decided not to publish a grid reference in this post but is sure most Dartmoor ‘explorers’ and enthusiasts should find it without any trouble
0. Night Walk
This is the 1996 version of the ‘head’ taken in October 2015, whilst the author was guiding a night walk in the area. The damage was quite evident
1. Indians Head with Rule
Simon Dell’s replacement ‘head’
1. Location
The location of the ‘head’. It is downstream from the first footbridge after the aqueduct
2. Side on view
Side on view of the ‘head’. Look at the joint between the granite slabs just above the stone in the leat
3. Close Up
Close up of the 2024 ‘head’
4. Head July 2024
The ‘head’ can really only be viewed from the north west bank of the leat
5. Falls
Raddick Hill falls of Devonport Leat with the flood control scheme and spillway at eastern end of the aqueduct.
6. Aqueduct 1
The aqueduct which carries Devonport Leat is also known as the ‘Iron Bridge’. The aqueduct pillars were constructed in 1790s. Recently, extra ‘safety’ precautions have been added in the form of two gates and fencing (on the leat side)
7. Aqueduct 2
West side of the aqueduct. The ‘head’ is around 100m downstream from this point
8. Supplemental Water
The end of an iron pipe, which augments water into Devonport Leat from the river Meavy. There is an 1915 dare stamp on the pipe, which no doubt dates its construction. This date is within 10 years (1925) of PCWW repairing the granite lining of the leat downstream – one wonders if there is a connection here?
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