A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and CornwallBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
A book of the west. Volume 1, Devon : $b being an introduction to Devon and Cornwall
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Devon (England)
The Central Trackway to which I have alluded is a paved causeway,
the continuation of the Fosseway. It runs across Dartmoor. It can
be traced from Wray Barton, in Moreton Hampstead, where it crosses
the railway and the Moreton and Newton road. Thence a lane runs
on it to a cross-road; this it traverses, and is continued as a
practicable road by Langstone--where, as the name implies, there
was once a menhir--by Ford to Heytree, where is a cluster of hut
circles. Then it ascends Hameldon by Berry Pound, and becomes quite
distinct. From the cross on Hameldon it descends into the valley,
mounts Challacombe, and aims across the upper waters of the Webburn
for Merripit; on the marshy ground above the little field planted
round with beech at Post Bridge it can be seen. Road-menders have
broken up a portion of it, thus exposing a section. It traverses the
East Dart, and can be distinctly traced above Archerton, whence it
aims for Lower White Tor. It has been thought to be distinguished on
Mis Tor, and striking for Cox Tor, but I mistrust this portion, and
am inclined to think that the old Lych Way is its continuation from
Lidaford Tor, where it disappears. The Lych Way, or Corpse Road, is
that by which the dead were borne to burial at Lydford, till licence
was granted by Bishop Bronescombe in 1260 to such people on the moor
as were distant from their parish church, to recur to Widecombe
for their baptisms and interments. The Lych Way is still much used
for bringing in turf, and for the driving out and back of cattle.
The paved causeway is fine, but in parts it has been resolved by
centuries of use to a deep-cut furrow. It was said formerly that of
a night ghostly trains of mourners might be seen flitting along it.
There are extensive, and in some cases very ancient, stream works
at the head of the two Web-burns. Chaw Gully is an early effort in
mining. The rocks were not blasted, but cut by driving wedges or
cutting grooves into the stone, then filling the holes with lime and
pouring water over the quicklime, when the expansion split the rock.
Great quantities of tin have been extracted from these rude works;
how early and how late these are none can say. The same heaps have
been turned and turned again.
There are good screens in the churches of Bridford, Manaton,
Lustleigh--where is also an inscribed stone--Bovey Tracey, and North
Bovey; and beautiful scenery in Lustleigh Cleave and about Manaton.
Bowerman's Nose is a singular core of hard granite, left standing
on a hillside in the midst of a "clitter." The way in which it was
fashioned has been already described.
The valley of the Teign is beautiful throughout; it deserves a visit
both above and below Dunsford Bridge. Fingle has been spoken of in
the chapter devoted to Exeter. Below Dunsford the river should be
left to ascend a picturesque combe to Bridford, in order to visit
the very fine screen and pulpit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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