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Summary

Pillow mounds forming part of Legistor Warren. Flat-topped, oblong-shaped mounds of soil and stone surrounded on at least three sides by the ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the mound. 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

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/239/8
• Old SAM Ref: 22289

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLOW MOUND (Early Medieval to XXI - 1066 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP130888 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 22nd February 1993. Five pillow mounds forming part of Legis Tor warren. They survive as flat-topped, oblong-shaped mounds of soil and stone surrounded on at least three sides by the ditch from which material was quarried during the construction of the mound. 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. These five pillow mounds may be described individually as follows:.
Pillow mound A is 17.1m long, 6.5m wide, 1.4m high and is surrounded by a 2.1m wide and 0.5m deep ditch. Two 5m long shallow gullies lead s from the mound.
Pillow mound B is 28.8m long, 7.3m wide, 1.2m high and is surrounded by a 2.4m wide and 0.5m deep ditch. A 4m long shallow gully leads s from the mound.
Pillow mound C is 37.6m long, 6.7m wide, 1.4m high and is surrounded by a 2.3m wide and 0.4m deep ditch. A 5m long shallow gully leads s from the mound and cuts through enclosure boundary [ai: 130857].
Pillow mound D is 17.6m long, 7m wide, 1.2m high and is surrounded by a 2.3m wide and 0.7m deep ditch. A 6m long shallow gully leads sw from the w side of the mound and another leads se for 12m from the e side of the mound.
Pillow mound E is 15m long, 6m wide, 1.2m high and is largely surrounded by a 2m wide and 0.4m deep ditch. A 3m wide causeway across this ditch survives at the upper end. A 4m long shallow gully leads s from the mound (mpp).

Crossing, W., 1992, Crossing's Dartmoor Worker, 61 (Monograph). SDV351364.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 111-4, Map 49, Figure 49.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

'Bury' shown on the north side of Settlement 'B' at Legis Tor.

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

Clearly visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Pillow mound shown on modern mapping

Historic England, 2021, National Heritage List for England, 1019876 (National Heritage List for England). SDV364016.

Within Scheduled area.

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
• EDV8227 - Ringmoor Training Area: Monument Baseline Condition Survey

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