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Summary

Within Legis Tor Warren. Excellent condition, complete. Vermin trap includes two v-shaped lengths of walling together forming an X-shaped trap with the narrow funnel trapping area situated in the centre of the feature.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008716: Vermin trap immediately south west of Legis Tor forming part of Legistor Warren

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56NE282
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1325839
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/239/19
• Old SAM Ref: 24130(P)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VERMIN TRAP (Constructed, Post Medieval to XVIII - 1540 AD (Between) to 1800 AD (Between))

Full description

Cook, R. M. L., 1964, Old vermin traps on south-west Dartmoor, 198 (Article in Serial). SDV230549.

Legis Tor Warren. Site 2. Type 1. Excellent condition, complete. South-west of main summit of rocks of tor. Probable date of use 1700-1800.

Linehan, C. D., 1966, Deserted Sites and Rabbit-Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, 141 (Article in Serial). SDV307246.

Haynes, R. G., 1970, Vermin Traps and Rabbit Warrens on Dartmoor, 159, fig, 47, 48, 49. (Article in Serial). SDV166302.

Haynes' vermin trap no.1. Complete apart from slate shutters. Although fragments have been found: the only trap known with its iron fitting complete. The cover has 3 holes. Two funnel walls rest against the tor, the other two are free.

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, 157-62 (Monograph). SDV231173.

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

Not visible on photographs used in project.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130897, 22/2/1993 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Vermin trap 10 metres south-west of Legis Tor. Vermin trap includes two v-shaped lengths of walling together forming an x-shaped trap with the narrow funnel trapping area situated in the centre of the feature. The trapping area includes, two flat-sided stone slabs laid parallel to each other and 12.7cm apart, covered by a large flat stone into which three small holes have been cut. Worth considers that these holes were used in connection with the tripping apparatus which let down the shutters and sprang the trap. The grooves in which the shutters sat survive as notches cut into the long side stones at the point where the coverstone ends. The walls forming the funnel on either side of the trapping area measure very different lengths. The nw wall is 6.1m long, the ne wall is 8.2m long and is attached to a rock outcrop as is the se wall which measures only 3.66m long. The final wall of the trap measures 6.4m long and like all the others is 0.75m wide by 0.3m high.

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

(09/02/2005) SX 57096554. An almost complete vermin trap adjoining the south rock pile of Legis Tor. The trap consists of a complete set of in situ trap stones minus the mechanism. It is fed by two well-preserved V-shaped funnels 7m long.

Ridgers, H. + Ridgers, C., 2015, Of Varments and Vermin Traps, 3 (Report - Assessment). SDV358632.

One of the best known traps - X-shaped walls cover stone and side walls in position.

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.

Depicted on survey layer.

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

A near complete stone vermin trap tucked against the south side of the southern outcrop of Legis Tor, associated with the warren of the same name. The trapping chamber comprises two parallel slabs forming a narrow tunnel, covered by a flat slab. Funnel walls constructed from moorstone boulders extend to between 6 and 8m to form a 'V' shape plan from both ends of the chamber.

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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