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This walk: 2014-6-5 & 2014-6-5. Burrator Reservoir, Wembley Walk.

There are no walk details on this occasion. WembleyWalk is located across the road from Burrator Lodge, beside Burrator Reservoir.

From SW Lakes Trust web page, Burrator Gardens .....

"The pathway 'Wembley Walk' was named following a celebratory trip to London after the raising of Burrator Dam and was constructed as part of the Empire Exhibition celebrations in 1924. Plymouth City Water Works commissioned the walk, and the archways at each end of the walk were built using granite salvaged from the farms and houses demolished to make way for the reservoir. Wembley Walk was originally a road leading to Sheepstor, the majority of which is now submerged under the Reservoir."

The walk should be open to the public after the opening of the Burrator Discovery Centre on 6th July 2014.

 

One of two large logs, i.e. tree trunks, that we moved with a crowbar on Tues. 3rd June - Steve, Mike and me, as part of the Burrator Project. !

 

End view of the logs.

 

The entrance into Wembley Walk.

 

Closer view.

 

RC 1668, Richard Crymes?

 

Millstones removed from old Longstone Manor house. Doorway from Rounday Farm. Re-erected 1934 by Geo Shillibeer.

 

One of the two Longstone Manor millstones .....

 

The second millstone.

 

RO Serpell, Mayor. Plymouth Corporation Water Works. James No(rth?).

 

The rear view of the arch.

 

Looking down the walk.

 

A bee hotel for over-wintering insects.

 

A seemingly uninscribed stone .....

 

Closer view.

 

The bottom arch .....

 

E signifying the Elford family, who gave their name to Elford Town which in turn led to Yelverton .....

 

Closer view.

 

IE AE 1637.

 

1633. WE. (seal?) 8 (seal?).

 

PCWW. Doorway and tablets removed from old Longstone Manor house. Re-erected 1925 by Geo Shillibeer.

 

Rear view of the arch.

 

Looking down Wembley Way, this being the old road to Sheepstor before the dam was built, passing via a submerged farm by the name of Essworthy.

Essworthy and Headweir Cottage (near the head of the Plymouth Leat) can be seen in the 1886 Ordnance Survey map offered by the Natiobal Library of Scotland, HERE.  The 1906 version of the map shows the extent of the reservoir before the dam was raised in 1924-1928, see HERE.

 

ML 1858 (Sir Massey Lopes, a local landowner, who improved several farms in the area). A modern link is the C17th Lopes Arms, Roborough.

 

Rear entrance to the newly renovated 100-year-oldmiron store, soon to be the new Burrator Discovery Centre.

 

Overgrown stile on a now-defunct footpath that used to run through the area.

 

View of the yard where volunteers toil!

 

Beside the new centre.

 

Possibly a pair of millstones, although they are of different sizes.

 

The old explosives store at the rear of Burrator Lodge (beside the old public loos), used no doubt when dam construction was in progress. As with others in the area, the door is made of a cast cement material and hinges and fittings were non-ferrous to avoid the production of sparks!

 

 

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