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This is a pound, an enclosure built to contain livestock that had wandered or been found straying on Dartmoor's open moorland. Such structures were essential to moorland communities, allowing animals to be held until claimed by their owners or impounded for breach of grazing rights. The pound at Newbridge is likely medieval in origin, though pounds were maintained and used across centuries on and around Dartmoor.
Today the site consists of the earthwork remains of the pound's perimeter, set in the landscape near Newbridge. It is a quiet marker of the long history of stock management on Dartmoor and the legal frameworks that governed common grazing. Walking the moor in this area, the pound speaks to how thoroughly the moorland was integrated into the working lives of neighbouring communities.
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