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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 combe of the Blacka Brook.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1014662: Pillow mound 790m NNE of Blackaton Cross, forming part of Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX 56 NE 66
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/198/75
• Old SAM Ref: 24247

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Crossing, W., 1912 (1965), Crossing's Guide to Dartmoor, 431 (Monograph). SDV320981.

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 Air Force, 1964, RAF/58/6399, RAF/58/6399 F64 0384-0385 02-JUL-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363068.

A ditched mound is visible as an earthwork.

Mercer, R. J., 1987, An Archaeological Field Survey of the Upper Plym Valley, Dartmoor 1982-1986, 1 (Report - Survey). SDV165948.

Pillow mound. Sub-rectangular earthen mound, surrounded by a ditch, 2m wide and 0.30m deep. Dimensions: length 23m x breadth 5m x height 0.50m (mercer).

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130928, 30/6/1994 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Pillow mound forming part of Trowlesworthy Warren. Survives as a 20.4 metre by 7 metre by 0.5 metre high, flat topped, oblong shaped mound of soil and stone surrounded on four sides by the ditch from which construction material was quarried. This ditch survives as a 2.3 metre wide by 0.5 metre deep hollow along the southern side of the mound and as a 0.6 metre wide by 0.2 metre deep gully along the north.

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

National Trust and English Heritage, 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: The Management of an Historic Landscape, 1 (Report - non-specific). SDV166309.

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.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

Depicted on the modern mapping.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, 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 22m long and 7.5m 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 on three sides by a ditch 2 to 3m wide, the ditch not readily identifiable on the downslope, south-western side.
The mound is probably the remains of a rabbit bury or pillow mound of medieval to post-medieval date, the enclosing ditch intended to aid to drainage, enhancing the natural drainage of the slope.
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
• 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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