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Summary

One of three adjoining enclosures and five hut circles immediately south-west of Shadyback Tor. An enclosure of probable Bronze Age to Iron Age date is visible as stony earthwork banks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2002 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017. It is one of at least six such enclosures incorporated into a later, probably medieval field system north and west of Trowlesworthy Warren House.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE22
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439169
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/48
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Late Iron Age - 2200 BC to 42 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

Enclosure shown on 19th century map with short sections of walls extending to north-west and north-east.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

'Enclosures' shown on early 20th century map.

National Monument Record, 1976, SX5664, 1 (Aerial Photograph). SDV175071.

Photograph taken on 8th April 1976.

Price, D. G., 1977, Settlement at Trowlesworthy Warren, 44, Figure 1 (Article in Serial). SDV150433.

Enclosures, the walls are quite clearly defined and are composed of large stones reaching an average height of 0.8 metres with an average width of 2.5 metres.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE22, Enclosure C (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV231903.

(14/06/1977) An enclosed settlement, consisting of 3 adjoining enclosures, lies on a moderate, well drained, north-west facing slope at 250.0m. above O.D.
(c) SX 56586502. This oval enclosure, 90m. by 60m. and 0.5 ha., post dates (a) and is built of orthostatic walling, about 1.0m. wide and in very poor condition. The interior is clitter strewn with no evidence of hut circles. Two diverging walls, about 1.8m. wide, of double orthostat construction, run downhill from the west side and may be contemporary. (Type site: SX 56 NE 71).
1:10 000 Survey on P.F.D.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140611 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 2nd April 1995. At SX56636496, SX5659 6496 and SX56576503. This agglomerated enclosure forms part of a partially enclosed stone hut settlement. At least 3 distinct enclosed areas are visible. The relationship between the enclosures is not clear but the ground plan would suggest that 'B' is primary, with the remaining two being added later.
Enclosure C, the northernmost within the group, at SX56576503 includes a sub rectangular area measuring 67 metres by 56 metres and is defined by a 2 metre wide orthostat and rubble wall standing up to 1.5 metres high. There are no hut circles visible within this enclosure. Three lengths of boundary bank lead from this enclosure and these represent parts of fields added to the enclosure.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 159, Map 51, Figure 51.3 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Shadyback Tor settlements include Prehistoic Enclosure'D' linked to the clitter below the Tor rocks shown with two vermin traps, two ditches and a pillow mound but no hut circles.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 65, 102 175 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

One of three sub-rectangular interconnecting enclosures. This enclosure measures 67 metres by 56 metres with walls 2 metres wide by up to 1.5 metres high. The wall is very ruinous with many gaps and composed of boulders and occasional orthostats. The wall has been breached by vermin traps in the east and west sides and a pillow mound is also situated within the enclosure.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(26/02/2001) Centred SX 56606501. Three adjoining enclosures and five hut circles immediately SW of Shadyback Tor. The enclosures are irregular in shape and cover areas of between 0.2 and 0.5ha with broad stony banks around 2.0m wide and 0.6m high. Two of the enclosures contain hut circles and a solitary hut lies immediately beyond the southernmost field bank. It seems most likely that these features formed a small part of an agglomerated settlement that formerly occupied most of the spur running W from Trowelsworthy Warren House. Several medieval or recent enclosures occupy part of the site as do pillow mounds and vermin traps. All the prehistoric features have been disturbed by stone gathering.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Enclosure visible on aerial photograph.

Various, 2018-2020, PALs Condition Recording forms, UP-TR7 (Worksheet). SDV362781.

(03/07/2019) Bracken noted as covering roughly 20% of the enclosure. Condition of this feature and pillow mound otherwise assessed as good.

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

Site photographed during July 2019 visit.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Enclosure shown on modern mapping.

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)

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.