Reasons for Designation
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 warren at Sheeps Tor survives well and will contain important
archaeological and environmental information concerning rabbit farming on
Dartmoor during the early post-medieval period. The warren is situated close
to the densest concentration of pillow mounds on the moor and provides a
crucial contrast to its neighbours in the adjacent Plym Valley.
Details
The monument, which falls into eleven areas of protection, includes at least
eleven pillow mounds, three vermin traps and a warreners' house together
forming a warren on the upper slopes of Sheeps Tor. The pillow mounds survive
as rectangular mounds together with ditches from which material was quarried
during their construction. The mounds vary between 7m and 19m long, with the
average being 11.5m and they stand between 1m and 1.6m high. Two of the
vermin traps survive as adjacent V shaped lengths of drystone wall together
forming X shaped traps. The trapping areas survive between the two lengths of
wall. The third trap at NGR SX56556820 includes two lengths of 3.7m long
drystone wall forming a V shaped trap. Vermin approaching their quarry tend
to seek a route that provides visual cover and the purpose of a trap was to
funnel predators along ditches or beside walls to a central point where they
could be trapped.
Lying within the southern part of the warren at NGR SX56426801 is an
irregular shaped drystone built enclosure containing a small rectangular
building and at least four internal divisions. This structure has been
identified as the warreners' house and although no documentary evidence is
currently known to support this identification, its character and position
strongly supports this interpretation. The warreners' house survives as a
drystone building denoted by walls standing up to 1.4m high and its interior
is filled with rubble.
No documentary information is currently known concerning the warren at Sheeps
Tor, although the presence of vermin traps suggests an early origin.
The boundary stone is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground
beneath this feature 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.
