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Summary

Vermin trap built across the end of a boundary wall lying within an area of alluvial tin streamwork earthworks. Includes two lengths of V-shaped rubble wall, together forming an X-shaped trap.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/240/10
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VERMIN TRAP (Early Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Cook, R. M. L., 1964, Old vermin traps on south-west Dartmoor, 200, number 2 (Article in Serial). SDV230549.

Trowlesworthy Warren. Site 2. Wall type 1. Good condition, walls only. Near left bank of the Plym 183 metres east of Shadyback Tor. Dated 1700-1800.

Haynes, R. G., 1970, Vermin Traps and Rabbit Warrens on Dartmoor, 157, number 16 (Article in Serial). SDV166302.

Haynes' vermin trap number 16. Two funnel walls are adapted from a tinner's wall.

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

Not visible on 1946 Royal Air Force vertical aerial photographs.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140638, 3/1/1995 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Vermin trap at SX56846507. Vermin trap built across the end of a boundary wall lying within an area of alluvial tin streamwork earthworks. Includes two lengths of V-shaped rubble wall, together forming an X-shaped trap. The walls are composed of coursed masonry and average 2.2 metres wide by 1.2 metres high. The north-west by south-east arm is 10.5 metres long and the north-east by south-west arm is 12 metres long. The position of the trap suggests that it was intended to catch vermin coming up from the river and following the boundary wall. The stone from which the structure was constructed was presumably robbed from the boundary wall.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 70, 102.191 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

X-shaped vermin trap with funnel walls superimposed on a tin streaming heap and the containing wall. The well preserved western arms are composed of coursed masonry but the eastern arms are more ruinous and consist of bank in which some large stones are visible. The arms are 10.5 and 12 metres long and the walls range from 0.8 to 2.2 metres wide and 0.5 to 1.2 metres high.

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, number 40 (Report - Assessment). SDV358632.

Vermin trap at SX56847 65104. Left bank of the Plym built into tinner's walls. Strong trap, X-shaped walls adapted from the tinner's structure.

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

X-shaped feature visible on aerial photograph.

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

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