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Summary

A series of shallow ditches on the lower eastern slopes of Legistor Warren. Previously recorded to be enclosure boundaries, which portioned off parts of the rabbit warren. Although some sections of these linear features, where running along the contour, have low banks on the downslope side of up to 1.4m wide and 0.3m high, other sections comprise only a faint ditch and would not therefore have formed an effective barrier unless a fence was added. Drainage was incorporated into other Dartmoor warrens at Huntingdon and Beardown, so this would seem the most likely explanation for these features to prevent the buries being deluged during extreme downpours.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1019876: Prehistoric settlement, three round cairns and a post-medieval rabbit warren at Legis Tor

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/239/10
• Old SAM County Ref: 591
• Old SAM Ref Revised: 22289
• Old SAM Ref: 22289

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))
• DITCH (Constructed, Post Medieval - 1540 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130890 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(22/02/1993) SX 5760 6544 Enclosure containing seven pillow mounds and four vermin traps. Forms part of Legis Tor Warren.
The enclosure includes a 550m long by 150m wide area defined on the north and west by a 1.4m wide and 0.5m high bank with an external ditch measuring 1.2m wide and 0.7m deep. The east and south edges of the enclosure are formed by the River Plym. The enclosure boundary probably did not prevent the rabbits moving into other areas of the warren, but would have provided protection against some predators. The pillow mounds survive as flat-topped, oblong-shaped mounds of soil and stone surrounded on at least three sides by the ditch from which construction material was quarried. Clearly defined shallow gullies lead from the lower end of many mounds. These have traditionally been interpreted as drainage ditches, but they may also have served as preferred access routes for rabbits and vermin. All of the mounds lie with their long axis across the hillslope.
The 7 pillow mounds and 4 vermin traps are recorded separately; see related records.
Despite limited damage as a result of a moorland track passing through the area, this site survives well and provides valuable information concerning various practices associated with rabbit farming. It contains more vermin traps than any other and this may indicate that this area was of particular importance to the warreners.

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

Probert, S., 2005, Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey (Report - Survey). SDV363484.

Probert, S. A. J., 2010, A Condition Survey of the Archaeological Sites of Ringmoor, Dartmoor Training Area (Report - Survey). SDV360517.

Newman, P., 2018, Archaeological Sites within Ringmoor Training Area, Dartmoor National Park, Devon: A condition survey on behalf of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Report - Survey). SDV361636.

Newman, P., 2022, Ringmoor Down Premier Archaeological Landscape Dartmoor National Park, Devon. A new survey, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV365490.

Ditches and banks within Legistor Warren SX 57579 65473. A series of shallow ditches on the lower eastern slopes of Legistor Warren. Previously recorded to be enclosure boundaries, which portioned off parts of the rabbit warren. Although some sections of these linear features, where running along the contour, have low banks on the downslope side of up to 1.4m wide and 0.3m high, other sections comprise only a faint ditch and would not therefore have formed an effective barrier unless a fence was added. Drainage was incorporated into other Dartmoor warrens at Huntingdon and Beardown, so this would seem the most likely explanation for these features to prevent the buries being deluged during extreme downpours.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7443 - Condition survey of archaeological sites in Ringmoor Training Area
• EDV7569 - Condition survey of Ringmoor Down training area
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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