On the north moor at an altitude of 1,798 feet a spring comes from the peat . This small trickle of water will drop down 890 ft over a course of about 4.6 miles before flowing into the West Dart river at an altitude of 1108 ft. On its journey it will pick up 3 major tributaries and 4 feeder streams and is called the river Cowsic. A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of Devon (Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom including Snowdonia and Anglesey. It is formed by large flat slabs of granite or schist supported on stone piers (across rivers), or resting on the banks of streams. According to the Dartmoor National Park, the word 'clapper' derives from an Anglo-Saxon word, 'cleaca', meaning 'bridging the stepping stones'. Although often believed to be of prehistoric origin, most were erected in medieval times, and some in later centuries. They are often situated close to a ford where carts could cross. The bridge is located close to Beardown farm. It was washed away in both 1873 and 1890 by a flood. The clapper was later restored by the Dartmoor Preservation Association, the 1890 flood was commemorated by an inscription on a nearby boulder.

Boddy Collection