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Summary

Legistor Warren extends over 61ha, of land surrounding Legis Tor, bounded on the south and east by the River Plym and the west and north by a high stone wall, banked on the north side. The warren contains 48 earthen pillow mounds, or buries, of various lengths between 45m and 15m, mostly spread along the southern slopes of Legis Tor. Each comprises a linear mound, mostly built at right angle to the contour of the slope, typically 6 to 8m wide by up to 1.5m high with rounded ends, usually surrounded by a ditch. Stone traps were installed at strategic locations as a means to control weasels and stoats; nine confirmed during 2022 survey work. A number of ditches and banks recorded on the south slopes of the tor associated with the warren may have served to prevent water run-off affecting the buries and in some cases to partition off certain areas of the warren.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE115
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 438828
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/239
• Old SAM County Ref: 24128
• Old SAM County Ref: 24129
• Old SAM Ref: 22289 (PART)
• Old SAM Ref: 24127

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RABBIT WARREN (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD (Between) to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Linehan, C. D., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137243.

See sx56ne/136 and sx56ne/198-200. For vermin traps see: sx56ne/94, sx56ne/95, sx56ne/106/1, sx56ne/110, sx56ne/260-265.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV254590.

Aph=raf 58/1110.0038/5 may 1953.

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV254593.

Aph=raf/106g/uk/1190 4260(2/2/1946).

DMG, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV68198.

(grid refs for vermin traps may be unreliable. There are therefore possibly more recorded on smr than exist in fact (dmg). ).

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2494, 3131-2 (Aerial Photograph). SDV147533.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 139-143, table 3 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

SX 574653. A group of 37 pillow mounds, some up to 130 feet in length.

Haynes, R. G., 1970, Vermin Traps and Rabbit Warrens on Dartmoor, 158-9 (Article in Serial). SDV166302.

Legis Tor Warren. A small warren of about 230 acres, bounded on north and wesr by a rabbit-proof wall, and on east by a ruined wall forming common boundary with Ditsworthy Warren (SX56NE/197). It has no warren house and would probably have been too small to be efficient and economic. Perhaps originally an addition to Trowlesworthy Warren (SX56NE/240 and SX56SE/198). Its alternative name was New Warren, recently used by Trowlesworthy and linked to it by a wooden bridge a little below Spanish Lake, now included in Ditsworthy Warren. Well provided with buries. Eleven known vermin traps.

Haynes, R. G., 1970, Warrens on Dartmoor, Typescript notes and plans (Plymouth City Library) (Un-published). SDV359198.

Legistor Warren, sometimes called New Warren, of 183 acres (Tithe Map 1843). Probably always operated jointly with Trowlesworthy Warren until recent times when it became an adjunct of Ditsworthy Warren to which it was connected by a clam bridge over the Plym.
It seems likely it was the second warren enclosed on this area, hence the name New Warren. There is no Warren House. It is bounded on the S. and E. by the Plym; on the N. and W. by a purpose built rabbit proof wall, much of which is still in good order. On the N., the wall bends to avoid most of a group of longhouses (SX 56 NE 117) but cuts through two of them, making use of the stone. The wall is therefore probably late 14th century or more recent.
The Warren incorporates 48 buries (pillow mounds) including one of the Moor's longest, 84 yards. The lower slopes of Legis are drained by a complex system of ditches, presumably dug by warreners. There are 10 vermin traps and 3 vermin houses.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56NE115 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV254592.

(20/06/1977) The area of moorland known locally as "Legistor Warren" covers about 65 hectares (160 acres (d) rather than Haynes' 183) between 245 and 300m. O.D. Apart from the River Plym it is bounded by a substantial drystone rubble wall, usually 1.8m. wide and 1.2m. high.
It contains forty-nine pillow mounds, most at right angles to the contours, with widely varying lengths ranging from 10.0m. to 78.0m. and widths varying from 3.5m. to 9.0m; the heights are from 0.5m. to 1.2m.
Some of the mounds are revetted; all are ditched and the majority have 'tailed' ditches, (extending beyond the mound at the lower end). A number of pillow mounds are within the prehistoric settlement enclosures fringing the N. side of the Plym. (SX 56 NE 69 & 70).
Vermin traps and the complex of drainage ditches, some of which are 2.0m. wide and over 1.0m. deep, have not been surveyed.
Pillow mounds surveyed at 1:10 000 on M.S.D.

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

Area of warren approx 64 hectares. Pillow mounds tend to cluster to the south of warren. 27 pillow mounds visible at SX 5678 6520, SX 5724 6527, SX 5745 6585, SX 5678 6528, SX 5728 6535, SX 5756 6583, SX 5678 6540, SX 5728 6541, SX 5700 6528, SX 5681 6528, SX 5726 6546, SX 5705 6525, SX 5682 6525, SX 5725 6553, SX 5710 6520, SX 5685 6538, SX 5731 6529, SX 5681 6542, SX 5732 6536, SX 5689 6518, SX 5735 6530, SX 5693 6523, SX 5739 6535, SX 5696 6526, SX 5743 6536, SX 5692 6528, SX 5747 6533.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130881, 86-96. (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(22/02/1993)

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

(18/03/2005) Legis Tor Warren remains as described by the Ordnance Survey (1977). The remains of warrening in this area are not limited to pillow mounds, drainage ditches and vermin traps but extend to an attempt to clear areas of clitter and to the construction of several small structures and enclosures.
The attempts at clearance are visible as small stone clearance heaps and the dumping of material on several of the hut circles in the area. Parts of the prehistoric settlements have also been reused in later periods as witnessed by the small structures and crude enclosures recorded with monument 438698.

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

Legistor Warren containing evidence of enclosures, pillow mounds and vermin traps. SX 57229 65516. Legistor Warren extends over 61ha, of land surrounding Legis Tor, bounded on the south and east by the River Plym and the west and north by a high stone wall, banked on the north side.
The warren contains 48 earthen pillow mounds, or buries, of various lengths between 45m and 15m, mostly spread along the southern slopes of Legis Tor. Each comprises a linear mound, mostly built at right angle to the contour of the slope, typically 6 to 8m wide by up to 1.5m high with rounded ends, usually surrounded by a ditch. Stone traps were installed at strategic locations as a means to control weasels and stoats. Several of these vermin traps survive (3393; 3394; 3408; 3412; 3422; 14642; 14645; 49777) although the total number is uncertain. Cook (1964) recorded nine, whilst Haynes (1970) has eleven. The HER has 15 records, but some are uncertain. Only nine could be found at the approximate NGRs provided by the HER for the 2022 survey. A number of ditches and banks recorded on the south slopes of the tor associated with the warren may have served to prevent water run-off affecting the buries and in some cases to partition off certain areas of the warren.

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
• EDV8917 - Survey of the archaeological features on Ringmoor Down

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