The Leat.

The Leat (or the Gutter, as we used to refer to it when I was young) has been a feature of Silverton life for centuries probably. Rising from the ground somewhere off Butterleigh Road it flows down the High Street and then down Fore Street until it disappers under Tiverton Road on its way to join the Exe. The Leat has been a source of enjoyment for generations of village children who have floated their pooh stcks down it was well as providing an extra hazard for those who might encounter it after one too many pints in the Lamb or The Silverton Inn of an evening. Whilst its role in the village is mainly benign it has flooded parts of Fore Street on occasions, most notably in 1996, and often requires the sterling efforts of parish councillor Marsden to keep it flowing freely. Although its blockages can lead to additional hazards in the form of ice if it freezes during the winter, Silverton without its leat would be like Paris without the Eiffel Tower. It is an essential part of what makes the village what it is.