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Duck decoy, situated 250 metres south of Black Rock Villas in Somerset, is a seventeenth-century waterfowl trap constructed to facilitate the systematic capture of wild ducks for consumption and sport. The site comprises an artificial pond with associated sluice mechanisms and concealed catching pipes, representing a sophisticated example of early modern hunting technology that was widespread across English estates during the period. Duck decoys of this type typically employed trained decoy ducks and elaborate architectural design to funnel wild birds into narrow funnel-shaped nets, exploiting natural behaviour patterns to achieve efficient capture. The monument survives as an important archaeological record of commercial and subsistence hunting practices among the gentry and landowners of seventeenth-century Somerset.
Duck decoy, 250m south of Black Rock Villas is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1015949. View the official record →
Duck decoy, situated 250 metres south of Black Rock Villas in Somerset, is a seventeenth-century waterfowl trap constructed to facilitate the systematic capture of wild ducks for consumption and sport. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1015949.
Duck decoy, 250m south of Black Rock Villas is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1015949.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Churchyard cross in St Bridget's churchyard, Chelvey (6 km), Churchyard cross in St John The Evangelist's churchyard (6.7 km), Churchyard cross in St Andrew's churchyard (6.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Duck decoy, 250m south of Black Rock Villas's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Duck decoy, 250m south of Black Rock Villas stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.