The New Murrey and Blue blog

“….Records are not conclusive, but it is believed Dulverton Weir may have been built in the 11th or 12th Century, according to the trust that maintains it….It is around 160m (525ft) long, and was built with the leat (manmade water channel) which still runs separately to the River Barle through Dulverton today….It once provided water to nine mills which were part of the textiles industry….”

When we see structures like old weirs we don’t always pause to wonder exactly how old they are, so it’s often a surprise to learn that some date back to the time of the Conqueror, or before. They seem so  naturally there that they’re almost as if nature conjured them. But no, they are very definitely man-made, and they were there for the important business of providing both food and protection. As you can see from this article the weir at Dulverton in Somerset met with considerable trauma due to floods that proved too much for its ancient stonework, but plans are now in hand to repair it and actually improve it as well.

You can read more about the weir and its whole system here.