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Summary

Vermin trap built against western side of a boundary wall. Includes two lengths of rubble wall, together forming a V-shaped trap. The walls are of partly faced rubble construction, average 1m wide by 0.3m high and are 6.5m long. The position of the trap suggests that it was intended to catch vermin following the boundary wall.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1020323: Prehistoric and historic archaeological landscape at Trowlesworthy Warren

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/240/15
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/240/9
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VERMIN TRAP (XV to XIX - 1401 AD to 1900 AD (Between))

Full description

Cook, R. M. L., 1964, Old vermin traps on south-west Dartmoor, 200 (Article in Serial). SDV230549.

Trowlesworthy Warren. Site 10. Wall type 3a. Fair condition, walls only 128 metres east-south-east of Shadyback Tor dated 1700-1800. Not visible 1946 aerial photograph.

Haynes, R. G., 1970, Vermin Traps and Rabbit Warrens on Dartmoor, 158, No. 26 (Article in Serial). SDV166302.

Trowlesworthy Warren. ?SX 5660 6510 Haynes' vermin trap No. 26. On reeve wall 60 yards (55m) south-east of Shadyback Tor; small trap, heavily turfed over.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140637 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(03/04/1995) SX 5679 6502. Vermin trap built against western side of a boundary wall. Includes two lengths of rubble wall, together forming a V-shaped trap. The walls are of partly faced rubble construction, average 1m wide by 0.3m high and are 6.5m long. The position of the trap suggests that it was intended to catch vermin following the boundary wall.
The stone from which the structure was constructed was presumably taken from the boundary wall..

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 69 102 187 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Vermin trap with V-shaped funnel walls 6.5 metres long by 1 metre wide by 0.3 metres high set against a possible corn ditch and consisting of low turf banks in which a few facing stones are visible.

Environment Agency WMS, 1998-2016, LiDAR DSM data JPEG image (1m resolution) (Cartographic). SDV360209.

Feature visible on Lidar data.

English Heritage, 2005, Survey Information (miscellaneous date) (Report - Survey). SDV345855.

Feature shown on survey.

Ridgers, H. + Ridgers, C., 2015, Of Varments and Vermin Traps, 4, No. 39 (Report - Assessment). SDV358632.

SX56779 65028. V-shaped grass-covered walls abutting boundary bank about 120m south-east of Shadyback Tor.

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

Feature visible on aerial photograph.

Richards, A. F., 2020, Notes regarding historic locations of vermin traps in the HER (Personal Comment). SDV163447.

Note: Haynes grid reference does not match his description of the trap lying south-east of Shadyback Tor, disturbing a 'reeve'; presumably this is the trap referred to.

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
• EDV8155 - Plym Valley Survey

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