Bolham Weir, Washfield, Tiverton, Devon - Heritage Assessment

This report presents the results of a heritage assessment that was carried out by South West Archaeology Ltd. (SWARCH) as part of a proposal to excavate the adjacent bank to facilitate fish movement at Bolham Weir, Washfield, Tiverton, Devon. Bolham Weir is documented as a modern weir that was constructed over a historic weir site. It is a double weir, or stepped weir, which is made up of a series of weirs of different periods, one of which has replaced the other due to disrepair. The earlier lower weir is likely to be an early-19th century structure of large boulders that were originally arranged in a linear form, however it could be pre-1800. Clearly intended to create a naturalised aesthetic, it is much damaged and so it cannot be fully assessed. Above the historic weir is a replacement 19th century weir - ultimately of stone rubble build but massively remodelled during the mid-20th century into a concrete weir of steep crump form, possibly built up and capped, with a narrow crest and with a trough to the base - with straight flank walls. The works to the bank would not physically impact the weir directly, however the works would impact the landscape and the setting of the weir and this may alter how easily understood the narrative of the weir is. These factors combine to give a negative/minor impact on the landscape and the historical narrative of the weir as a cultural entity within the landscape. A programme of archaeological monitoring and recording during this phase of works may be wise due to the proximity of an earlier structure of unknown date and the archaeological potential of the wider area, in particular the bank as infilled leats appear to feed back in to the river on this side. The removal of the bank will allow for an investigation into the narrative of the site and it will confirm some of the dating and the relationships between the features within the landscape. It will not ultimately affect the weir, however its setting will be slightly altered visually.