Details

This monument includes a pillow mound situated near the summit of Legis Tor
overlooking the valley of the River Plym. The pillow mound survives as a
16.5m long, 4.3m wide and 0.7m high, flat-topped, oblong shaped mound of
soil and stone surrounded on four sides by the 1.6m wide and 0.3m deep ditch
from which material was quarried during the construction of the mound. The
long sides of the mound are crudely revetted with drystone walling and a
clearly defined shallow gully leads south for 4m from the lower end of the
mound. These gullies have traditionally been interpreted as drainage ditches,
but they may also have served as preferred access routes for rabbits and
vermin. Traps placed within these gullies could have been used to control both
rabbit and vermin populations.
This mound forms part of the rabbit warren at Legis Tor which is sometimes
called New Warren and may have operated jointly with Trowlesworthy Warren
until recent times when it became an adjunct of Ditsworthy Warren. The name
New Warren strongly suggests that there was an earlier warren on the site.
Dating of the warren is difficult because there are no early documentary
references, although it is generally accepted that the warren on the other
side of the River Plym at Trowlesworthy had been established by 1292.
All fences and fenceposts are excluded from the scheduling, although the
ground beneath is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Dartmoor is the largest expanse of open moorland in southern Britain and,
because of exceptional conditions of preservation, it is also one of the most
complete examples of upland relict landscape in the whole country. The great
wealth and diversity of archaeological remains provide direct evidence for
human exploitation of the Moor from the early prehistoric period onwards. The
well-preserved and often visible relationship between settlement sites, major
land boundaries, trackways, ceremonial and funerary monuments as well as later
industrial remains, gives significant insights into successive changes in the
pattern of land-use through time.
Warrens are areas of land set aside for the breeding and management of rabbits
or hares. They usually include a series of purpose-built breeding places,
known as pillow mounds and buries, vermin traps and enclosures designed to
contain and protect the animals, and living quarters for the warrener who kept
charge of the warren.
Pillow mounds are low oblong-shaped mounds of soil and/or stones in which the
animals lived. They are usually between 15m and 40m long and between 5m and
10m wide. Most have a ditch around at least three sides to facilitate
drainage. Inside are a series of narrow interconnecting trenches. These were
excavated and covered with stone or turf before the mound was constructed.
Vermin traps of various kinds are found within most warrens. These include a
small stone-lined passage into which the predator was funnelled by a series of
ditches or walls. Over 100 vermin traps have been recorded on the Moor, with
the majority lying in the Plym Valley.
Warren boundaries were often defined by a combination of natural features such
as rivers. Within the warrens themselves smaller enclosed areas defined by a
ditch and bank are sometimes found, and some of these may have been
specialised breeding areas. Many of the warrens on the Moor contain a house in
which the warrener lived.
Most of the surviving warren earthworks probably date to between the 17th
century and the later 19th century, with some continuing in use into the early
20th century. At least 22 warrens are known to exist on the Moor and together
they contribute to our understanding of the medieval and post-medieval
exploitation of the area. All well-preserved warrens are considered worthy of
protection.

The pillow mound 40m east of Legis Tor forms part of the nationally important
Legistor Warren and contains information relating to the exploitation of
rabbits in the Upper Plym valley.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Crossing, W, Crossing's Dartmoor Worker, (1992), 61
Linehan, C D, 'Medieval Archaeology' in Deserted Sites and Rabbit Warrens on Dartmoor, Devon, , Vol. 10, (1966), 141
Other
Devon County Sites and Monuments Register, SX56NE239,
MPP fieldwork by S. Gerrard,

Source: Historic England