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Summary

A bank defined rectilinear enclosure, possibly a pound of possible medieval to 19th century origin is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, on the south-west facing slopes circa 310m south-east of Trowlesworthy Warren House. The enclosure probably removed from use between the late-19th to early 20th century.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX56SE101
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 439390
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/325
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56SE/495
• Old SAM Ref: 24232

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) ENCLOSURE (Early Bronze Age to Post Medieval - 2200 BC to 1750 AD)
• POUND (Early Medieval to XIX - 1066 AD to 1900 AD)

Full description

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

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

The visible earthworks correspond with an enclosure depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s First Edition 25inch map.

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The enclosure is not depicted on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition 25inch map.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 4290-4291 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

A banked rectilinear enclosure is visible.

Price, D. G., 1977, Settlement at Trowlesworthy Warren (Article in Serial). SDV150433.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SX56SE101 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV143226.

Visited 17/7/1977 There is an enclosure on a slight south-west slope in Trowlesworthy Warren. It is at 280 metres Ordnance Datum and oriented with the slope. Internally it is 18 metres by 14 metres with a perimeter bank of compacted small stones 4.0 metres wide overall and 0.5 metres high. The north-east upper side has been cut back to a depth of 0.6 metres and then banked and the interior levelled so that it reaches the top of the south-west lower side. Only on the east side are there some signs of double orthostatic walling but these stones barely protrude above the infill and spread.
There is no evidence of internal occupation but a leat has been cut through the feature from the north-west to the south-east corners.
The original entrance may have been in the south-east. Although the enclosure is adjacent to the newtakes of Trowlesworthy House its size and construction suggest a prehistoric origin. Surveyed at 1:10 000 on P.F.D.

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

Not recorded on aerial photograph.

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140648 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

Site visited on 4th April 1995. Simple enclosure at SX57056463 survives as a 17 metre by 13 metre area defined by a 4 metre wide by 0.4 metre high rubble bank. The southern circuit is connected to a length of rubble wall 1.7 metres wide by up to 0.5 metres high which may be part of a Prehistoric field system. A small clearance cairn 4 metres by 2 metres by 0.5 metres high stands a short distance to the south-east of the enclosure. An animal run cuts through the centre of the enclosure. Cartographic work by Price indicates a similar enclosure here before 1886. It is therefore possible that this enclosure is of historic date. It is also possibly a re-use of a Prehistoric enclosure in Post medieval period.

Butler, J., 1994, Dartmoor Atlas of Antiquities: Volume Three - The South-West, 156-8, Map 51, Figure 51.1 (Monograph). SDV137656.

Enclosure not recorded.

Robertson, J. G., 1994, The Archaeology of the Upper Plym Valley (Post-Graduate Thesis). SDV139549.

Square enclosure depicted and described by Robertson.

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 41, 102 115 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

Sub-rectangular area enclosed by widespread wall of turf-covered small stones. Bisected by a drain. Area enclosed measures 17 metres by 13 metres with a wall 3-6 metres wide by 0.4 metres high. Oriented north-east to south-west.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX5764 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

A banked rectilinear enclosure is visible.

Probert, S. A. J. + Fletcher, M. J., 2002, Plym Valley survey (Report - Survey). SDV350782.

(26/02/2001) Centred SX 57056464. A square, terraced enclosure 300 metres south-east of Trowlesworthy Warren House. It measures 16 metres north-east to south-west by 15.5 metres internally and is enclosed by banks 2.5 metres wide and 0.8 metres high on the south-east and north-west sides. Stony scarps up to 0.6 metres high form the north-east and south-west edges. The interior is flat with no trace of contemporary structures and there is no evidence to suggest the position of an original entrance.
This feature is bisected by one of several drainage channels that cut across the gentle south-west facing slope.

English Heritage, 2005-2008, Prehistoric Survey Information (Cartographic). SDV345521.

Feature shown on survey.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Feature visible on aerial photograph.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Sub-circular 'Enclosure' shown on 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.

Stony banks up to circa 4m wide are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards and visualisations derived from lidar data captured between 1998 and 2017, defining a roughly rectilinear enclosed area circa 17.5m long by 13m wide. No evidence of a entrance is identifiable.
The visible earthwork corresponds with an enclosure depicted on the Ordnance Survey 1880s First Edition 25inch map, abutting a field boundary of probable medieval origin. The field system was possibly brought back into use in the 19th century after a period of disuse.
It is therefore possible that the enclosure, possibly a small stock pound, is of medieval to 19th century origin.
The enclosure and adjacent field system are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey 25inch Second Edition map, probably cleared during a reorganisation of the surrounding field pattern.

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: EH Project (Feb 2001 - Dec 2002)
• 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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