The O Brook is a short tributary of the
West Dart River
The West Dart River is one of the two main tributaries of the River Dart in Devon, England.
Its source is about 2 km north of Rough Tor on north Dartmoor. It flows south to Two Bridges, then south east past Hexworthy to meet the East Dart ...
on
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...
in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
, England. It lies near the village of
Hexworthy
Hexworthy is a hamlet on Dartmoor, in Devon, England. It lies on the West Dart River a mile upstream from Dartmeet. Historically in the parish of Lydford, since 1987 it has been in the civil parish of Dartmoor Forest.
Hexworthy has an inn, ...
, and the lower part of the stream forms the boundary between the parishes of
Holne
Holne is a village and civil parish on the southeastern slopes of Dartmoor in Devon, England. A community has existed here since at least the 11th century, and today a population of around 250 people is served by a church and a public house, the ...
and
Dartmoor Forest
Dartmoor Forest is a civil parish in Devon, England. It was formed in 1987 by the splitting of the former parish of Lydford. It covers about entirely within Dartmoor National Park, and is the largest parish in Devon. Despite its size its popul ...
(formerly
Lydford
Lydford, sometimes spelled Lidford, is a village, once an important town, in Devon, north of Tavistock on the western fringe of Dartmoor in the West Devon district. There is an electoral ward with the same name which includes Princetown. The p ...
). An earlier form of the name was ''Ocbroke'', and it may mean "Oak Brook", although oaks are rare in the area.
The area around the stream is notable for its historic
tin mines
Tin mining began early in the Bronze Age, as bronze is a copper-tin alloy. Tin is a relatively rare element in the Earth's crust, with approximately 2 ppm (parts per million), compared to iron with 50,000 ppm.
History
Tin extraction and use can ...
.
A rock formation on the stream bank, known as the Dragon's Den, gave rise to the legend of the Dragon of the O Brook.
Legendary Dartmoor website
/ref>
References
Rivers of Devon
Dartmoor
1O
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