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Summary

A rabbit bury or pillow mound of probable medieval to post-medieval date is visible as an earthwork mound on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, on the south-west facing slopes of Trowlesworthy Warren, overlooking the Blacka Brook.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1016147: A stone alignment, kerbed cairn, prehistoric settlement, four pillow mounds, a vermin trap and animal runs 720m south west of Great Trowlesworthy Tor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/198/64
• Old SAM Ref: 22429(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLOW MOUND (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD)

Full description

Haynes, R. G., Map of Trowlesworthy Warren (Cartographic). SDV165949.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223 Vp2 5143-5144 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

A ditched mound is visible as an earthwork.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Pillow mound is recorded but no photograph reference recorded.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 38 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

As SX 5746 6394. Sub-rectangular earthen mound surrounded by ditch, 2.60m wide and 0.70m deep on north, east and south sides. Two ditches, 0.30m wide and 0.10m deep, continue from south-west end and drain into ditch see SX56SE/370 cutting across drain see SE56SE/364. Dimensions: length 21m by breadth 5.50m by height 1.20m.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset. (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(10/03/1994) Mound 22m by 7.2m by 1.3m high, surrounded by a 3.2m wide and 0.5m deep quarry ditch. The northern of the gullies leading from the lower end of the mound measures 5m long, whilst the southern one is 12m long. Both gullies are 0.5m wide and 0.1m deep and lead into animal run SX56SE/364.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 171, Map 51, Figure 51.11 (Monograph). SDV137656.

'Bury' shown to the south-west of Trowlesworthy single stone row.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 12, 102.038 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 1999-2017, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX5763 01-06-2002 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363087.

A ditched mound is visible as an earthwork.

NERC, 2013, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) Tellus: South Devon to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5763 Tellus DTM 01-JUL-2013 to 31-AUG-2013 (Cartographic). SDV361514.

A ditched mound is identifiable as an earthwork.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UPTR-29 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(22/03/2020) Condition of pillow mound assessed as moderate; some impact from vegetation growth and burrowing animals. Bracken and reed growth on mound.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording photographs (Photograph). SDV363073.

Photographed in March 2020.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2021, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

An oblong mound approximately 23m long and 8m wide is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, crossing the contours of the south-west facing slopes of Trowlesworthy Warren.
The bank is surrounded by a ditch up to 2.3m wide. Two ditches project from the south-west of the enclosing ditch and extend downslope for circa 5 and 14m.
The mound is probably the remains of a rabbit bury or pillow mound of probable medieval to post-medieval date. The ditch is probably an aid to drainage, enhancing the natural drainage of the slope. The gullies extending from the south end of the mound possibly provided access warreners to the mound or, perhaps more likely, were aids to drainage, feeding into a ditch connecting three adjacent pillow mounds with the Blacka Brook to the south.
The mound remains clearly identifiable on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2013.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7369 - Survey of Granite Loading Bays at Trowlesworthy, Devon
• EDV8148 - The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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