Our Land Flows ... from Peat to Pipe
We all drink water!
Communities in and around Dartmoor and Plymouth will have a new opportunity from this summer, in August, September and October, to find out where the water from their tap comes from. They will be invited to explore more about water from the peatlands of the high moors and how it becomes piped tap water to their homes.
The Art and Energy Collective is delighted to announce that they have been awarded a funding grant from Dartmoor’s Farming in Protected Landscapes (FIPL) fund that will support walks, talks and activities in which we learn from the farming, rural and urban communities and many organisations that are involved in delivering our tap water.
‘All our Peat to Pipe events will celebrate the role of water in our cultural heritage, our habitats, and in resilience to climate change. Everyone can learn from each other as they get know about how our land flows...and have some fun along the way.’ says Cat Andrews, Art and Energy Director and Producer.
Dartmoor Preservation Association has also given a grant towards this project for encouraging more people to help conserve this landscape heritage. The moor’s varied landscape and habitats all flow with water, from peat bogs and mires to the deep river valleys. Peat to Pipe will be focusing on the history and heritage of the leats that were constructed hundreds of years ago to transport water to power the working mills and mines, and for drinking in the towns and cities nearby.
Helen Bruce from Dartmoor Preservation Association says ‘We are delighted to work with Art and Energy who will raise awareness of the importance of water on Dartmoor in natural and manmade structures through which it flows.’
Dartmoor National Park supports farming for the long-term benefit of the landscape through which our water flows. Everybody is reliant on this water cycle and the role it plays in the landscape, from drinking water, to reducing flood risk and enhancing our health and wellbeing. During Our Land Flows we will be hearing from the farming community how they manage water on the moors.
“The drinking water for almost all of the towns and communities below Dartmoor starts up on the high moorland, in the headwaters of its many rivers. Dartmoor farmers and land managers work hard to support these habitats to flourish so they can continue to store and collect this precious water which we all need to thrive. The great thing about this FiPL project is that it highlights this essential process and the work farmers do to support local communities on and below the moor.” Kaitlin Perryman, Dartmoor National Park, Farming in Protected Landscapes advisor.
“We are becoming fascinated with peatlands at the top of the moor” says Plymouth resident and Art and Energy Director and Engineer, Jenny Ayrton. “We would love to hear more from anyone out there who knows about the history and archaeology of the leats into the city.”
If you know about the history of the flow of water off the moor or are interested in this project, contact: hello@artandenergy.org
Our Land Flows, from Peat to Pipe, will share and celebrate the role of water in nature for both urban, rural and farming communities, speaking to its impact on health, habitats, and cultural heritage.
Further details will be added to the Art and Energy website www.artandenergy.org
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