See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A stony prehistoric enclosure wall which was originally part of a field system has previously described as having been refurbished in association with warrening activity. There is no clear evidence that the walls were refurbished post-abandonment, indeed the southern section of the walling is breached in several places. The southern area of the alleged enclosure is bounded by the edges of tin streamworks along the River Plym and to the west by tinworks along Legis Lake. Although this combination defines an area containing 16 pillow mounds, it would have been ineffective as a boundary to the passage of rabbits or vermin.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/239/17
• Old SAM Ref: 22289

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ENCLOSURE (Constructed, Bronze Age - 2200 BC (Between) to 701 BC (Between))

Full description

Worth, R. H., 1981, Dartmoor, 160 (Monograph). SDV231173.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 130885 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

22/02/1993 Enclosure containing fifteen pillow mounds and one vermin trap. It includes a 375m long by 300m wide area defined on the north and east by a 1.6m wide and 0.7m high bank with an external ditch measuring 1.2m wide and 0.8m deep. The west and south edges of the enclosure are formed by the Legis Lake and the River Plym respectively. The enclosure boundary probably did not prevent the rabbits moving into other areas of the warren, but would have provided protection against some predators.
The pillow mounds survive as flat-topped, oblong-shaped mounds of soil and stone surrounded on at least 3 sides by the ditch from which construction material was quarried. Clearly defined shallow gullies lead from the lower end of many mounds. These have traditionally been interpreted as drainage ditches, but they may also have served as preferred access routes for rabbits and vermin. Most of the mounds lie with their long axis across the hillslope.
The 15 pillow mounds surviving within this enclosure are described separately; see related records.

Crossing, W., 1992, Crossing's Dartmoor Worker, 61 (Monograph). SDV351364.

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

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 the GIS survey layers.

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

A ruined stony enclosure wall. SX 57299 65427. A stony prehistoric enclosure wall which was originally part of a field system has previously described as having been refurbished in association with warrening activity. There is no clear evidence that the walls were refurbished post-abandonment, indeed the southern section of the walling is breached in several places. The southern area of the alleged enclosure is bounded by the edges of tin streamworks along the River Plym and to the west by tinworks along Legis Lake. Although this combination defines an area containing 16 pillow mounds, it would have been ineffective as a boundary to the passage of rabbits or vermin.

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

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