Rabbit Warrens?

[debadzuk79]

Hello all,

I am interested in any information or literature that any of you can provide me with on Rabbit Warrens in North Wales, in particular Anglesey (especially Newborough Warren). I have done extensive research online and have drawn a blank so far and am hoping that some of you with better contacts or even a more effective way of searching for the information I require can help. Any help would be appreciated.

Thankyou,

Karl Bardsley

[camo]

Hi Karl

One possible source of information may be the land owner, if the Warren was part of an existing country estate the Land agent is likeley to have the original vermin records. If you approach the estate office traditional estates are often proud of their historic connections and you may be surprised at the detailed records that will have been kept. Traditionally Vermin keepers wil have been paid by the couple of Rabbits and therefore the records were kept to record wages as well as Keeper effectiveness.

What is your interests in warrens?

Roy

[debadzuk79]

Hi Roy,

It is information for my uncle really and as he is nearly 90 now I said I would help him out. He used to be a lecturer at Cambridge (Biology) and he studied Lichens and Mosses for many many years. He still does the odd paper for the Leeds Met Uni and used to write for the National Geographic. I am not sure of his exact interest with warrens. I live on Anglesey and i know he has produced many papers on rabbit warrens particularly those in Yorkshire and as I bought him the Natural History of Anglesey book for Christmas he has recently become more and more interested in this area (North Wales) and in particular that of Newborough Warren which in the 1950's was teeming with Rabbits, however due to myxmotosis etc numbers have now dwindled. I just an not find any information whatsoever on the warren as it was.

Thanks.

[camo]

Hi I hope I am still as interested in the country at 90 he must have lots of stories. Roy

[debadzuk79]

Roy,

Yes he does and plenty of them! Just hope I can help him out, visited the Newborough area today, the forest actually but nothing forthoming on the information on the Rabbit colonies unfortunately. I am not sure if it was documented at the time. I will give your suggestion a punt. Just fired an e-mail off to Countryside council for Wales so will see if they have any info on the area. Thanks for your help.

Karl

[Gelert]

If you go a bit further down the coast from the forest on to the warrens you'll see the extent of the rabbit population. It may have changed, since rabbit populations fluctuate a great deal from season to season, but the area was teeming with rabbits when I went there last year.

[thunder]

Have you looked at John Sheail's book "Rabbits and their history"? (Published 1971, ISBN 0 7153 5227 X) Whilst Newborough Warren isn't in the index, it seems to be shown on a map of warrens in the 1790s, and the book has abundant references cited which might be of help.

henrya

[debadzuk79]

Thankyou everyone for your help. Just bought the book on ebay and am delving into the estate archives at Caernarfon records Office. Hopefully there will be something of interest there.