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Summary

Gerrard (1995) records two animal runs in close proximity to the pillow mounds in this part of Trowlesworthy Warren. 2002 survey by English Heritage records as abandoned field system.

Location

Protected Status

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

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX56NE/240/39
• Old SAM Ref: 24232
• Pastscape: 1360637

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Gerrard, S., 1990-2002, Monument Protection Programme. Archaeological Item Dataset., MPP 140640 (Report - Survey). SDV277946.

(03/04/1995) Animal runs survive as linear gullies. The western run survives as a 360m long, 1.5m wide and 0.3m deep gully, with material upcast during its construction forming a 2m wide and 0.5m high bank on its west side. It leads from the ditch surrounding pillow mound MPP 140679 and then curves around the upper side of pillow mounds (subsheet 12) before entering boggy ground. At one time this animal run was connected to those lying within the vicinity of pillow mounds (subsheet 12).
This gully probably represents part of a system of animal runs in which rabbits and vermin could have been trapped. In the past, shallow gullies such as these have been seen as drainage ditches. However the location, shape and alignment of many, including these ones, indicates very clearly that they could not all have been constructed primarily for drainage. In this particular instance if drainage was considered to be such a problem requiring such a massive ditch to be excavated it seems very unlikely that the pillow mounds would have been built on the valley bottom instead of the steep valley side. In addition this ditch would have carried surface water from areas beyond the pillow mounds and taken it to the pillow mounds. For these reasons the drainage ditch interpretation is not considered acceptable.
The eastern animal run is much smaller and survives as a 10m long, 0.8m wide and 0.15m deep gully leading north-east from the opposite side of the pillow mound to the west example. Downslope of the gully is the 1m wide and 0.15m high bank of material upcast during its construction. Leading as it does from a point very close to the west gully it is likely that the two are contemporary and carried out similar functions.

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

Thackray, C., 1994, The Upper Plym Valley: the management of an historic landscape, 70, 102.190 (Report - non-specific). SDV143510.

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

(20/05/2002) Animal run recorded as part of the abandoned field system at Trowlesworthy.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

The western animal run is depicted on the modern mapping as a drain leading to the River Plym.

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

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