ai ON D. [1/V\0'0 ' n BY > CROSS! MO WIDECOMBE CHURCH. L A HUNDRED YEAR5 ON DARTMOOR: HISTORICAL NOTICES OF THE FOREST AND ITS PURLIEUS DURING THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. BY WILLIAM CROSSING. Author of" The Ancient Stone Crosses of Dartmoor and its Borderland" etc. FIFTH EDITION. PLYMOUTH I "THE WESTERN MORNING NEWS" CO., Ltd., 31, George Street. 1902, A tale of Devonia's desert. Of a region wild and rude. Where man has made himself a home Amid the solitude. e^sx IN DEX. k&~ Abbots' Way, The 27 Adams, Peter 38 Agistment Fees 70 Agricultural Operations, Modern 23 Ammil, The 105 Ancient Farmhouses 10 Anecdotes ... 24, 30, 33, 39, 44, 47, 48, 55, 56, 65, 78, 79, 98, 99, 100 Annual Hunt Meet, Western Beacon 93 Annual Hunt Weeks 89 Antiquarian Investigations 54 Antiquities, Destruction of 95, 97, 98 ,, Examples of 129 ,, Mediaeval 97 Arscott of Tetcott 86, 87 Ashburton Church 48 ,, Harriers 89 Autumn Manoeuvres 105 Bachelor's Hall Bair Down ,, Services at Balbeny and Pushy 11 Barrington, Charles Bellaford, Tor, Annual Meet at Bennett, J. N Bibliography of Dartmoor, Bishop, John Black Dog of the Moor .., Black Down ,, Road over Blizzard, The Blowing Stone, The Bog and Fen Border Lanes Bounds of Forest Bragg, William Bray, Edward ,, Mrs ,, Rev. E. A Brent Hill Brent, South, Church Brent Tor Church BridestowA Church Brimptf Meeting*. Broadbury Tiger , Suggested 35 36 23 46 26 58, 80 89, 90 58, 105 115 58 84 27 33 104 73 17 10 130, 131 88 23 ... 85,107,114 25, 50, 54, 107 45 48 45 48 90 89 Brook Manor House .. Buckfastleigh Church .. Buller, Sir Francis .. ,, Monument to Bulteel, John Burrator Reservoir ... Burt, William 86 47 23, 46, 50, 53, 80 53 90 105 109 Carew, Sir Walter Carrington, N. T Cart, The First Carter, maker of first road Chagford ,, Ancient Chapels near Woollen Mills at Chapels, Ancient, near Chagford ,, at South Zeal ,, Dissenting Charter of King John Childe of Plymstock Tomb of Children of the Peasantry Church of Forest dwellers Churches of Dartmoor ,, damaged by storms ,, mostly of granite ,. on the verge of Moor ,, further removed from borders ,, Restoration of ,, probably used by Moor dwellers Church Houses ,, Registers Churchwarden, Anecdote of a Clapper Bridges ,, Destruction of Clatters Clay Industry, The ,, Works Climate of Dartmoor Clothing of Moor people Coaker, Jonas Coffin Stone, The Commons of Devonshire Commoners, Kinds of Right* Origin of, unknown Coryton, Wiluim 88 50, 96, 109, 110 78, 79 29 79 45 , - 30 45 48 46 19, 67, 69, 73 84 ... 95, 96, 97 63 43 47 48 47 45 45 48, 49 45 47, 48 47 47 28 29, 30 16 40 37 ... 17, 18, 20 77, 78 50, 56, 57, 99 47 68 68. 69 67, 68. 69. 70 69 90 INDEX. Cottle, Joseph Crockem Tor Croker, Dr Crooks Crosses Cudgelling Cultivation of Dartmoor Customs, Retention of old Cut Lane Dart, The Dartmeet Bridge Dartmoor, Aspect of ,, Borders of ,, Climate of ,, Denudation of ,, Derivation of name ,, Elevation of, Mean ... ,, Extent of ,, Farms on ,, Granite of ,, Greyhound ,, Hounds ,, little known at beginning o Century „ Perambulation of ,, Recesses of ,, Situation of .. ,, Subsoil of ,, Surface of Dart Vale Harriers Davies, Rev. E. W. L Davy, William Deacon, The Brothers Deer ,, Extermination of ,, Injury to crops by ,, Mention of ,, The last, killed ,, visit Boringdon Park Dissenting Chapels Dixon, Miss Sophie 50, Donkeys, Employment of Drew, Jacob Hall Drifts, The ,, Reward for assisting at Duchy Hotel, The Dunnabridge Pound Dwellers on the Moor Dwellings, Improvement in ,, Modern Old Early inhabitants Eden, Dick Elevation, mean Enclosing, attempts at Enclosures ,, Act passed for making ,, Recent Encroachments Evans, Miss Rachel Extent of Moor Eylesbarrow Farms on Dartmoor Farmers, Condition of Moor ,, love of seclusion Farmhouses, Ancient Fatalities Fitzford, Hounds at Flax growing Forest bounds ,, dwellings fanned out ,. Signification of term ,, tenants 108 ... 29, 95, 96 114 24 28, 98 64 20, 53 77 27 9, 17 29 10 10 ... 17, 18, 20 17 9 10 . ... 9, 67, bd 23 16 89 90, 93 f 19th 19, 25 67, 130 10 9 16 16 89 ... 89, 90, 114 49 93 86 85, 86 85 £5 85 86 46 58, 98, 99, 113 39 38 73 74 ... 30, 80, 89 74 13 77, 78 78 44 34 58 10 75 ... 20, 23, 74 74 74, 75 74 85, 105 ... 9, 67, 68 35 23 59 77 10 99, 100 93 53 130, 131 24 40 68 20 Foresters' huts Fowler, G. W Fox-hunting Foxes, Destruction of ,, French Frean, George French family, The French, Tom Fuller, Rev. Morris Fur Tor ... Furlong Harriers Gate-posts, Ancient Geologv of Dartmoor Gibbet Hill Gipsies Gobbet Mine Granite of Dartmoor ,, quarrying Red ,, Weathering of Granulite Great Central Basin Greena Ball Grim's Pound, Road near Gubbins, The Guide-books Guide-posts, Ancient Gullet, Mr Halstock, Chapel of Harris, C. A Harvest Custom, Former Headland Hemans, Mrs Herrick Hexworthy Hey Tor ,, Railway Heywood, Mr Hill Bridge Hills of Dartmoor ,, ,, Heights of ,, ,, List of Hounds, The Dartmoor At Fitzford ,, Kept in the Forest ... ,, Masters of ,, Packs of Huccaby Hullett, T. and J Huntingdon Mine Hunting Country, The Moor ,, Men, Celebrated ,, Family, A Ice Works Ilsington Church Industries, Former Jolly Lane Cot Jones, Rev. J. P Jubilee Celebrations King, John King, Miss King, Richard John , King Way, The Kingsley, Charles Knock Mine Labourer Lamb, Mr Lamerton Hounds , ,, Tenures Land Cribbing 73 50 86 93 89 39 56 50, 56, 89 46 16 25 15 30, 33 105 35 16 36 37 15 37 17 38 33 60 108, 113 28 .'.' 23, 53, 96 44 .. 87, 89, 90 63 36 108 49 36 36 36 30 27 10, 13 123 et seq 123 et seq 90, 93 93 87 186 87 46 23 35 87, 88 94 88 39 48 34 24 ... 50, 58, 113 105 90 58 113 30 49 36 See Peasant. 40 93 85 24 INDEX. Larpent, Mrs 46 Leamon, The Brothers 93, 9+ Lee Moor Clay Works 37 ,, Religious Services at 46 Letters, Delivery of 79 Leusdon Church 46 Lich Path, The 27 Lichens, Collecting 39 Literature, Dartmoor possessed of a 105 Growth of ; 10/ Longevity of Moor People 63 Lopes, Sir Massey 30 Lyde, Rev. George 44 Lydford Castle 20, 25 „ Commoners, Recent Rights conferred on... 69 McBean, Rev. Mr Manaton Church Mary Tavy, not in venville Mason, Rev. J. H Masters of Hounds, Former Meavy, Chapel formerly at Merivale Quarries Methodists, The Pioneers in Religious Work Mid-Devon Hunt Military Manoeuvres Bill Mill, Ancient Forest Mill, Nathaniel Mines Abandoned ,, Lead, in 16th Century Miners, Many formerly employed Mining ,, Revival of Mires of Dartmoor ,, Adventures in Modbury Harriers Modern Agricultural Operations Moor Fox, The ,, Gates ,, Hunting Country „ Peasant's Love of the ,, Reclamation of the Moorland Churches. Restoration of Moorman's Duties, The Moormen Morgan, Mr Name of Dartmoor, Derivation of Naphtha Works Netherton's, Mr., Harriers Newcombe, J. R Newleycombe Lake News, Formerly Slow in Circulating Newtakes Night Rest Okehampton Church Park, Reputed Omen Beam Otter Hounds Oxen Chapel in Parishes forming Dartmoor, Number of ... Parker, Admiral Parsons of the Old School ., Anecdotes of Pasturage Paths, Ancient Peasant of Dartmoor ,, Appreciation of Beauties of Moor by Children Condition, Past and Present Cottage of Food of Humour of 47 48 69 23. 50. 55 86 44 37 46 ... 87, 88 75 20 83 35 35 36 25 35 17 100 93 25 89 10 ... 87, 88 83 37 ... 48, 49 ... 40, 70 58 93 9 38 89 90 35 79 2U 69 48 44 38 93 ... 24, 25 45 ... 90, 93 47 47 25, 40, 70 26, 27, 28 60 66 63 63. 65, 66 GO 6.3. 78 6b Peasant Love of the Moor ,, Morals ,, Speech ,, Superstition Peat ,, Fires ,, Journey of ,, sold in Border Towns Perambulation of Dartmoor ,, Record of the Perrott, James Pillion, The Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway Pcde, Mr Pode, J. D Po'whele Pony, The Dartmoor Post Bridge Poulain, Jules Powder Mills, The Predas Prideaux, John Primitive Implements Prince Consort, The ,, Visit to Dartmoor of ... Prince Hall ... ,, Colony at ,, Religious services at Princetown 36, 46, ,, Church ,, ,, Restoration of ,, Railwav Prison, The 23, 36, 38 ,, Farm ,, First Governor of ,, Works on Public matters Quarries, Granite ,, Wesleyau Chapel at Quarrying Quarters of Forest leased Railway. Plymouth and Dartmoor 53 ,. Princetown ... 37, 78 to Rattle Brook Head 38 Rattle Brook Mine 36 Peat Works 38 Red Cottages 47 Red Lake peat beds 38 Reep, William 79 Remains, Pre-historic 25, 97 Revels 64 Rights, Commoners, Limitation of 69 Ringleshutts Mine 36 Risdon 54. 107 Rivers of Danmoor 13, 14 In Flood 14, 100, 103 List of 127 ,. ,, Names 15 ,. Valleys 14 Roads of Dartmoor 26 et seq. ,, ,, Ashburton to Chagford 30 ,, ,, Bovey Tracey, From 30 ,, ., Brimpts to Holne 29 ,, ,, Cornwood, From 30 ,, ., First Act for road 28 ,, ,, First road 19 ,, .. Grim's Pound, Road near 33 Maker of first road 29 Roborouah Rock to Two Bidges 30 83 65 66 64 ... 38, 60 39 38 38 67 130 ... 50, 57 25 37 ... 90, 93 87 25, 54, 107 40, 73, 104 ... 29, 46 115 39 ... 70, 73 49 24 39 80 23, 40, 53 53 46 53, 76, 80 46 46 ... 37, 78 46, 53, 83 39 83 114 80 37 47 40 70 Shaugh Common. Road over ... 30 Two Bridges to Ashburton . ... 29 Widecombe, from Dartrneet and Hfmswcrthy 30 8 INDEX. Roborough Harriers Rock piles Rowe, Aaron Rowe, Rev. Samuel ,, ,, "Perambulation" of Royal huatiug-ground Rundle Stone Rye St. Gabriel's, Post Bridge St. Mary of Walleii, Chapel of St. Raphael's, Huccaby Sar.ders, Thomas Satterley, Sally Schools Sedge gathering Settlers, New, on Dartmoor Shaugh Church Sheep, Number of, pastured ,, Scotch ,, Stealing ,, Waiks Sheepfold, The Sheepstor Shiilibeer, William Shipley, Tvamroau to Situation of Moor Snowstorms „ Fatalities in Social gatherings South Devon Hounds South Hams Spectral Hound, The Sperling, Mr., ,, Harr'ers Spitchwick, Chapel formerly at Sportsmen, Old-time Squatting Stag-hunting, Attempt to revive Stannary limits, Survey of Stephens, James Slickiepath, Chantry at Stockman, Mr Storms , Stover ,, Canal Streams, List of Subjects of writers on the Moor Superstition of the peasantry Survey of Forest bounds 93 ... 122, 123 63 .. . P8, 107 110 85 30 20 46 45 46 23 63 . ... 64, 80 39 20 48 ... 25, 73 39 65 73 . ... 39, 40 47 58 58 9 98, 104, 105 ... 98, 99 80 ... 88, 89 9 84 94 93 44 87 24 86 35 39 44 80 103 56 36 127 108 64 130 Take-off Stone Taylor, John Telegraphic communication Templer, George 33 ... 109 79 36, 55, 56, 87, 83. 89, 90 Tenements, Ancient Tin, Trade in Tore of Dartmoor ,, destruction of, Gradual ,, Heights of ,, List of ,, names. Derivation of ,, Outlying tors and hills Tor Royal Tozer, E Track, Important Traditions, Earliest Train Snowed Up Travel, Mode of Trelawny, Charles ,, Hounds Trowlesworthy ,, Warren Turner, Mr Turnpike, The First Two Bridges Tyrwhitt, Sir Thomas Venville ,, Commons Vitifer Mine Vollans, Rev. Mr 29 19 9, 13 15 . ... 117 et seq. 117 et seq. 85 126 23, 53 114 28 84 104, 105 78, 79 90 90 37 40 28 26, 30 ... , 53 23, 36, 50, 53, 54 68, 69 68 35 23 Wages, Labourer's 60 Walkhampton 4/ ,, Common, Mission-room on 46, 47 ,, Path from, to Widecombe 27 ,, Quarries 37 Warrens 40 West of England Peat Company 38 Western Beacon, Annual Meet on 93 Wheal Betsy 35 ,, Friendship 53 White Works 30, 35 Widecombe 27, 43 Church, Services at ' 55 ,, Thunderstorm at 44 Williams, C. F 39 Willsworthy Chapel 27 ,, Hamlet of 44 Windeatt, Mr., of Fox Tor 96 Wish Huntsman 84 Wistman's Wood 95, 97 Woollen Mills at Chagford 30 Wrestling 48, 63, 64 Writers 109 Early 107 ,, Recent 114, 115 Zeal, South, Ancient chapel at 48 INTRODUCTION : General Description of the Moor. -»•*- SITUATION AND EXTENT-NORTH AND SOUTH HAMS-THE MOORLAND BORDERS-BORDER- LANES AND ANCIENT HOMESTEADS- THE MOOR GATES -AN ELEVATED TABLELAND - ASPECT OF THE MOOR-AN OLD-WORLD REGION-THE MOTHER OF RIVERS-THE FOUNDATION OF DARTMOOR-A PROCESS OF DECAY -CLATTERS-FORMATION OF PEAT- THE SURFACE OF DARTMOOR- MIRES AND BOGS THE GREAT CENTRAL BASIN- CLIMATE OF THE MOOR-A COUNTRY OF FERNS AND HEATHER. The granite-heaving moorlands, whereon we dimly trace Traditionary footsteps of many a vanished race : 4 wilderness of heather, a paradise of gold, Where every ancient trackway is strewn with stories old. ARTHUR L. SALMON. The upland region of Dartmoor takes its name from the chief of its many rivers — the Dart, a stream which, rising in the lonely fastnesses of the northern hills, pursues a south-easterly course, and falls into the English Channel. The Moor (as it is usually referred to locally) is situated in the south-west of Devonshire, and forms a conspicuous feature in the landscape, viewed from any point of vantage in that " land of flowers and songs." Its northern extremity is at Okehampton, twenty-one miles west of Exeter, and its southern at Ivybridge, about seven miles from the sea coast in Bigbury Bay. The distance from one to the other of these points measured on the map is rather over twenty-three miles. Its breadth is not so great, i*anging from seventeen miles at its widest part to about nine at its narrowest. According to evidence given before a Committee of the House of Commons, just previous to 1818, its area was then about 130,000 acres. This, however, has been variously stated, most writers inclining to a larger estimate, consequent upon the inclusion of certain outlying commons. But these, whatever may formerly have been the case, cannot now be said to form a part of Dartmoor, the hand of cultivation having long since placed them beyond the recognised boundary of the Moor. The portion of the County of Devon lying to the south of Dartmoor, and bounded on the east and west by the rivers Dart and Yealm respectively, is known by the name of the South Hams. The range of country to the north of the Moor appears to have at one time borne the name of the North Hams, for Tristram Risdon, the Devonshire typographer, who wrote at the beginning of the 17tn century, refers to it under that title in his mention of Dartmoor, which he describes as being situated " between the North and the South Hams," and speaks of it as " a chain of hills, consisting of a blackish earth, both rocky and heathy."* In approaching the Moor the visitor cannot fail to be impressed with the contrast afforded *Tte Chorocjraphica] Description, or Survey of the County of Dcvod. Ed. 1811, p. 6 10 A HTJNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. by the shady lane? and green meadows he is quitting, and the dusky scarps that rise before him. Whether the transition be sudden, as at certain places it is : or whether he first pass through partially reclaimed pasture crofts, where a state of semi-wildness exists that foreshadows the desolation beyond, the feeling when he sets foot upon the Moor will be the same. He will realise that he has entered into a land different in every respect from that he has left behind, and the aspect of which is much the same to-day as it was when, ages ago, the hardy hunter, dependent for his sustenance upon the spoils of the chase, roamed over its wilds in search of his quarry, and when the wolf brought forth her young in its secluded glens. The lanes by which the Moor is approached are invariably narrow, and often sunk deeply below the level of the fields by which they run, being worn down by the passing of the pack-horse in early days. Frequently their course is along the sides of the wooded valleys that lend such a charm to the borders of the Moor, not a few of which thrust their sylvan beauties far up among its brown slopes. By the wayside may be observed ancient farmhouses, the sturdy architecture of which bears witness to the intention of the builders that their edifices should endure. Long erections of granite, with door- ways and mullioned windows of the same durable material, and roofs of thatch, that have seen many a generation reared within their walls. Often a tablet over the entrance speaks to the passer-by of their age, and tells him that from two to three centuries have passed since their foundations were laid. The valleys which shelter them give promise of plenty, for Nature there is smiling, and it is only when the visitor gains a glimpse of the sombre old Moor that he recollects she can sometimes wear a frown. As progress is made the track, in many cases, becomes more uneven, and is often considerably narrowed by the encroachments of tall ferns and briars. At its end a gate is found, with rcugh- hewn, weather-stained granite posts. Referred to as "leap-yeats" in the Forest records, where they receive frequent mention, tbese gates were expected to be kept in a state of good repair by the com- moners, in order that deer or cattle might not stray from the pasturage grounds. Beyond this barrier stretches the wide Moor, and trees, and fields, and homesteads give place to a wilderness of reck and heather. Dartmoor is not mountainous, though there are within its borders a number of lofty hills, some of which attain an altitude of between 1,900 and 2,000 feet, and in two instances slightly exceed the latter height. The mean elevation of the Moor is computed to be about 1,400 feet. It is a table- land, rising abruptly from the lowlands, and cleft in all directions by narrow valleys, through which course rapid streams over rocky beds. The hills are bold in outline, frequently precipitous, and often strewn with granite boulders, or crowned with a fantastically-shaped rock-pile, known as a tor. These latter are, indeed, the characteristic feature of the Dartmoor hills. Always striking in appear- ance, they are not infrequently of truly grand proportions. The observer, from a border eminence commanding a far-reaching view of the Moor, sees befere him a vast sweep of dusky, rolling hills, with here and there a tor peeping over some dark ridge, or cresting some granite-strewn height. Cattle, and sheep, and ponies of the Dartmoor breed browse upon the sides of the hills and in the valleys, but beyond these scarce a sign of life is visible. Few sounds break the stillness, the chief being the cry of the curlew, or the falling waters of some near-by stream. A sense of loneliness possesses the beholder, and he feels that he is looking upon a scene from which " man is far away,' ; and which the ages have done little to alter. And when the visitor, leaving the borderland, penetrates into the wild region, the conviction will be forced upon him that he is wandering through a domain of Nature altogether unlike any other that England can show. In its more remote recesses there is scarcely a single trace of man's occu- pancy to be met with. Solitude reigns supreme, and silence broods over the desert. It is difficult to realise when, having reached one of its wild fastnesses the beholder looks upon the wide stretches BEETOR CROSS, NEAR CHAGFORD. THREE CROWNS INN, CHAGFORD, GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MOOR. 13 of fen, where appears to be an entire absence of life, that this great wilderness is in the midst of so fair a county as Devon. In his progress through other parts, where Nature wears not quite so forbidding an aspect, the visitor will encounter vestiges of enclosures, the ruined foundations of huts, moss-covered cairns, and other sepidchral monuments, that will speak to him of an early people. And in the valleys and combes, where some slight shelter is afforded, he will see where the settler in Saxon and mediaeval times found a home. More than one ancient farmhouse remains to-day, reared on the site of a still older dwelling, and inhabited by the descendants of those who in far away times here sought an abiding-place. They have each their own story to tell, and the light that enables us to read it is happily not altogether obscured. Among the dwellers in the lonely Dartmoor farms customs still linger reminiscent of the days of our grandsires, while their folk-tales and superstitions carry the visitor back to a yet earlier period. Certainly there has been no little improvement in the state of the inhabitants of the Moor during recent years. But old beliefs are difficult to eradicate, and though much has been effected in that direction, much still remains to be done. The peasant no longer believes in the pixies, the little elves of whom so many stories are told, but his faith in the efficacy of charms is as firm as ever. Supernatural appearances, or what he terms "wishtness," are also to him a reality; not that he will often affirm that he has seen a disembodied form, but he generally knows someone who has. But it is scarcely strange that these beliefs should obtain in the lone region which, as the legends tell us, was haunted of old by the winged serpent and the demon hound. The superstitions of the Moorland inhabitant fitly accord with his wild surroundings. The tors of Dartmoor, of which there are about one hundred and seventy, each bearing a name, sometimes almost assume the character of peaks. There are in addition over one hundred hills, also named, not crowned with a tor, being for the most part rounded eminences, and sometimes of considerable size. On some of the outlying commons that do not now touch the Moor there are also tors, particularly on the elevated land to the eastward of Moretonhampstead and Lustleigh. The highest point on Dartmoor, and, in fact, in England, south of Cumberland, is the summit of a hill on Okehampton Common, called High Willes, not far from the northern confines of the moor. This attains an elevation of 2,039 feet, according to the latest Ordnance Survey, and is 800 feet above the West Ockment, where that stream flows on its western side, at the distance of three-quarters of a mile. Very near High Willes is Yes Tor, a fine cluster of rocks, only about ten feet less in height, and in the vicinity are several other hills with altitudes of over 1,800 and 1,900 feet. The tors occupying the greatest extent of ground are Great Mis Tor and Sheeps Tor, the latter covering, it is said, an area of one hundred acres. In some the rocks rise to a considerable height above the turf. The streams flowing from Dartmoor, and to which Devon owes so much of her beauty, are ex- ceedingly numerous, fully justifying Risdon's allusion to the Moor as " the mother of many rivers." The chief of these are the East Dart and the West Dart, both of which rise in the northern portion of the great uplands. They unite in a beautiful valley below Yar Tor, a striking height in the parish of Widecombe, the point of confluence receiving the appropriate name of Dartmeet. Other streams that flow southward, and empty themselves into the English Channel as main rivers or tributaries are the Avon, Ernie, Yealm, Plym, Mew, or Mcavy, Tavy, Walkham, Lyd, and the North and South Teign ; while those that flow northward, and "by long-wandering seek the Severn Sea," are the East and West Ockments, the Red-a-ven and Black-a-ven, and the Taw. There are a very consul. Table number of tributaries ; some falling into the larger streams after the latter have left the Moor, and over a hundred of no slight importance joining them within its borders. The character of these Dartmoor streams is precisely similar, and yet they have each peculiar beauties of their own. Their birthplace is usually either in dome boggy hollow or on some swampy tableland, and at first their course is silent and sometimes sluggish. But not for long is this B 14 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. so. Other brooks, some very small, come to augment their volume, and ere their source is left far behind they become brawling streams, hurrying onward over a bed of granite pebbles. Fur- ther down the valley, when their waters have received larger tributaries from the narrow combes, as the less important valleys are termed, +bey leap forward in a succession of cascades, caused by the boulders that invariably partly fill their channels. Here and there deep pools are formed; in places the rivers run for a short distance between walls of solid rock, emerging from the gloomy passage to leap over fresh impediments, and to again lash themselves into foam over some sudden descent. Sometimes the sides of the valley will be found to rise steeply from each bank, the stream occupying nearly the whole width of the defile ; in other places a broad plateau of springy turf, often dotted with grey boulders, extends from the bank to the foot of the hill. This is generally steep, but not always clothed aiiKe. In one place it will be found to be covered with short herbage ; in another with a vast number of boulders, thrown together in the wildest confusion, and forming what is known as a clatter; and in yet another with tall ferns and heather, and, as the borders are reached, furze, presenting at certain seasons a picture of surpassing loveliness. As the streams increase in width a green islet is not infrequently seen in their channels, on which flourishes some sturdy thorn, or the graceful mountain ash. Near the confines of the Moor the valleys are deeper than in its interior ; for it is mostly on the borders that the highest hills are found, and it is generally through some defile, overhung with frowning tors, that the rivers leave the highlands. Here, not infrequently, some border road is carried over the stream by a moorstone bridge, picturesque stiuctures over which grey moss and ivy often creeps, and having solidly-built buttresses, well calculated to withstand the fury (f the torrent which sweeps down from the hills when rains have swollen the rivers. Below this the course of the stream is usually through one of the smiling border valleys, its waters being often partially concealed from view by the trees that clothe its banks. The Dartmoor rivers are subject during summer to sudden floods, their volume of water increasing to a considerable extent in a very short space of time. This is due to the rain falling upon ground rendered comparatively dry by the sun, and thus, instead of being absorbed, as is the case at other seasons of the year, pouring from the hillsides into the combes and valleys, and rapidly filling the channels of the numerous brooks. The main streams, therefore, rise in an incredibly brief period, and rush thundering down the vales. Great lumps of granite are often carried for some distance, the sounds caused by these shifting masses being heard above the roaring of the waters. For miles from the borders of the Moor, and far removed from the granite, these boulders are to be seen in the streams. The water of the Moorland rivers, though uniformly bright and clear, and of absolute purity, in some few of the streams does not at first sight appear to be so. This seeming want of purity is, however, mostly observable near their sources, and is due to the colour of the bog in which they take their rise. There is a tributary of the Erme, aptly named Red Lake, for its water certainly appears to be of that hue, but a glass of it taken from the stream will show it to be perfectly clear. The apparent redness of the water is due to the bed of the stream being coated with a deposit washed down from the mire in which it rises, the argillaceous loam, which is reddish- coloured, and on which the peat bog rests, being in this instance much nearer the surface than is usual. During a flood the whole of the rivers are, of course, discoloured, being then of a reddish- brown tinge, but, except at its very height, not without a certain degree of transparency, and are never muddy. Within a few days after the flood the waters resume their ordinary appearance, though it usually takes longer for the streams to become reduced to their normal size. There are several other streams on the Moor that bear names which have evidently been bestowed on them in consequence of the apparent colour of their waters, or from similar charac- GENERAL DESCRIPTION OE THE MOOR. 15 teristics. In the former connection Red Brook, Red-a-ven, and Ruddycleave Water may be instanced ; and in the latter Black-a-ven, Blackaton Water, and Dark Lake, so named, there would appear to be little doubt, from the rocks in their channels being plentifully covered with a black moss. These names, obviously comparatively modern ones, are borne by tributaries, mostly of secondary importance, those of the principal rivers being for the most part Celtic. The sound of these hurrying waters may sometimes be heard fur a great distance. The effect produced when it falls upon the ear, wafted by some suddenly rising breeze, and then dying away in a gentle murmur, is not a little striking. These sounds, more frequently heard towards evening, are known on the Moor as the " cry " of the river. The Geology of Dartmoor has of late years received considerable attention, and various conclusions have been arrived at regarding the formation of its rocks. A chain of granite masses extends through Devon and Cornwall to the Scilly Islands, appearing at intervals, the whole as De la Beche* considered, being subterraneously connected at no very great depth. Of these masses Dartmoor is the largest, and most easterly, and attains by far the greatest elevation. The chain is supposed to have been upheaved, when in a molten condition, under the palaeozoic strata, and through it, in post-Carboniferous, and probably pre-Triassic, times. This supposition that the age of the Dartmoor granite must be regarded as posterior to the deposit of the culm measures was con- sidered by Mr. W. Pengelly§ to be proved by the granites having sent veins into the culmiferous strata, which latter, probably by the intrusion, are much bent and contorted. Mr. A. Roope Hunt,t however, from an examination of the fluid inclusions, regards the Dartmoor granite as for the greater part an ancient granite, probably Archaean, greatly modified by a partial reheating in the presence of salt water, in post-Carboniferous times. Mr. R. N. Worth j supposed Dartmoor to have been one large volcanic mountain, which might have had an altitude of two and a half or three miles, the granite hills as seen to-day being the stump of it, the erupted portions having been denuded away. Mr. W. A. E. Ussher, of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom, who devoted much study to the subject, was led from certain observations to the suggestion of the intrusion of the Dartmoor granite as a laccolite,|| but subsequent investigations caused him to abandon that view. The tors which crown so many of the Dartmoor eminences have been formed by the weathering of the summit masses. These rock piles have remained as harder portions that have successfully resisted the various natural agencies that have warred against them during the long lapse of ages. The weathering has been facilitated, in the opinion of Mr. Ussher, by the divisional planes of the tors themselves, the mass of granite being "intersected by impersistent cracks, running in a more or less horizontal manner, and crossed vertically, or obliquely, by joints." To the distribu- tion of these horizontal and vertical lines is due the great variety of form exhibited by the tors, which frequently assume the most fantastic shapes, in which fancied resemblances to those of animals and other objects are traced. But the agency that has moulded the tors is still at work ; that which formed them is also de- stroying them. These huge rock piles, which seem as though they could for ever defy the war of elements, are yet silently decaying. Into the horizontal cracks the water penetrates, and much of it is absoibed by the stone. Then comes ''winter's wizard hand," and the water is changed to ice, and the surface of the rock is broken into tiny particles. The years pass by, and still the work goes on, and by-and-bye so much of the stone is worn away that it no longer affords a support *Report on the Geology of Devon and Cornwall, 1839. §On the Age of the Dartmoor Granites, 'IVans-Devon Assoc. Vol. I. 1863. tBrit. Assoc. Reports, 1889, 1890. tTraiif P!ynv.u+h Institution, 1888. UThe Granite of Dartmoor, Trans-Devon Assoc, Vol. XX., 1888 16 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. for the masses above it, and they topple over and scatter themselves around the base of the pile they once crowned. An examination of the tors will reveal many instances of the displacement of great blocks of stone, and will also show others that it is evident must fall at some time. It may be ages ere this shall take place ; but that the elements will eventually be the victors there can be no question. On the turf around Fur Tor, in the northern part of the Moor, are several immense masses that it is easy to see, from their character, have fallen from the pile. One huge stone, precisely simliar to these, now hangs in a slanting position, its downward progress having been arrested by the rocks beneath. It is this decay of the tors that has formed the clatters. As the weathering process went on, and the rocks fell, they were in many instances scattered over the hillsides, and thus considerable areas were in time covered with blocks of granite as we see them to-day. That ice played an important part in transporting many of these huge stones is highly probable. The Rev. E. Spencer, whose instructive little work on the physical features of the Moor* places under an obligation to its writer all who are interested in that region, has given some instances of still forming clatters. The visitor will come across these rock-fields, which time has not yet completed, as he rambles over the Moor, and will find indications that the dark tors above them are in process of destruction. With the exception of a few of the border heights, which are of trap rock, Dartmoor is entirely composed of granite, its mass being very irregularly shaoed. The Moorland region contains three well-marked varieties, namely, schorlaceous, porphyritic, and elvan, and it has been considered that these are not only of three distinct ages, but that before the second had intruded itself, the first had already become compact and jointed, and that the second was also consolidated before the pro- trusion of the last. The granite ef Dartmoor is a coarse-grained rock, composed of large prisms of orthoclase felspar, quartz, and black or white mica, and in colour is a brownish grey. It is of very variable quality, and of unequal hardness. The crystals of which it is composed are, by the action of the weather, often separated into fine gravel. This is observable in every part of the Moor, but more particularly in hollows on the surface, where blocks may be seen resting on a bed of such gravel. Tn some places the granite is found of much finer texture than in others, notably on the borders of the Moor. Here, too, it is frequently schorlaceous. De la Beche, referring to this, shows the possibility of such occurrences being near the original granite surface, which can only be determined on the outskirts now, in consequence of the process of denudation. The same authority gives it as his opinion that the trap rock of some of the border tors has flowed during the accumulation of the grits, shales, and slates of the carbonaceous series. Volcanic action has taken place throughout the deposition of the paleozoic rocks, and the granite has thrust the trap bands out of their position. The subsoil of Dartmoor consists of fine sand, and the surface soil principally of peat, the latter being, in places, of extraordinary depth. The central part of the northern division of the Moor, which is the most elevated, consists of one huge morass, " answering," as Charles Vancouver says,f "in every respect the character of a red Irish bog." "This," that writer goes on to state, " annually teem- with a luxuriant growth of the purple melic grass, rush cotton grass, flags, rushes, aud a variety of other plants, and which annually growing, and proceeding to decay, has at length raised this part of the Forest from five to forty, or perhaps fifty, feet, above the plain or foundation upon which it first originated." VancDuver broadly describes the surface of Daitmoor as consisting of two characters, the one a wet peaty moor, or vegetable mould, affording during the summer season good pasturage for sheep and bullock^, and the other an inveterate swamp, with a number of gradations between *A Few Remarks on Dartmoor, 1892. tGeneral View of the Agriculture of the County of Devon, 1808. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MOOR. 17 these specific points. How parts of the Moor are imperceptibly, yet surely, being denuded of their covering by natural means, is very clearly shown by the Rev. E. Spencer in the book before re- ferred to. Some of the mires on Dartmoor are rather extensive, and to an incautious pedestrian possibly dangerous. But if care be exercised the rambler over the waste will come to no harm, though if his acquaintance with the locality be but slight, he may experience some ineonv3iiience in his endeavours to avoid bad ground. On Dartmoor a mire is distinct from a bog. The former is a swamp, generally the source of a stream, and is of such a character as to be in most cases im- passable. By a bog is understood a stretch of wet, spongy, peat soil, more often termed by the inhabitants of the Moor the vain — i.e., fen — and which though not to be ridden over, and in places not to be crossed without the exercise of care even by those on foot, yet presents no actual impedi- ment to the latter. The part of the Moor most difficult to traverse is that lying around the sources of the East Dart, the West Ockment, the northern springs of the Tavy, and the Taw, all which streams rise near to each other. Here the peat bog is rent in every direction, the fissures being several feet in width and depth, forming the surface into a series of hummocks. Over much of this dreary district walking is out of the question ; progress cs.n only be made by a succession of leaps, or, in dry seasons, by passing through the fissures. It is in visiting objects where it is necessary to pass over such ground as this that the stranger finds his advantage in being accompanied by one familiar with the more remote parts of the Forest. Strips of hard ground passing through the fen are to be found in places on the Moor, and form excellent paths ; but it is only those who are well acquainted with the district who can make use of them. On the verge of the Moor, and in many of the valleys, and even on the hills that do not consist of peat bog, the ground is firm and hard, and there walking is at all times easy. The central portion of Dartmoor, where are found most of the Moor farms, is of considerably less elevation than the borders. In this great depression, extending from the range on which Princetown is situated to Dartmeet and Meripit Hill, the ground is generally of a nature very different from the high laud to the north and south of it, much of which consists of bog and morass. This basin it is which serves to separate the northern from the southern part of the Moor, though on the east and west these two divisions are connected. The only outlet to the great basin is a defile between the Moors of Widecombe and Holne, and through it the entire fall of an extensive watershed is conveyed to the lowlands. The whole of the streams that take their rise in this part of the Moor, or that flow through it from the high land on the north, are tributaries of either the East or West Dart. These two branches unite at the south-eastern corner cf the great depression, and leave the Moor by the defile we have named. The climate of Dartmoor is decidedly healthy, though during the winter season it is often not wanting in severity. West and south-westerly winds prevail, and rain sometimes continues for weeks together. Thunder storms are not frequent, but when such do occur they are generally violent in their character. Mists rise very suddenly, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for the Moor to be enveloped in an impenetrable shroud for days together. So laden with moisture are they that an exposure of but a short space of time will often wet one to the skin, and they are so dense that objects are only discernible within a distance of a few yards. Heavy falls of snow are sometimes experienced ; indeed, the approach of the cheerless season is often announced by the whitened hills cf the Moor, which sometimes, too, wear their gleaming mantle when the lowlands of Devon are smilingly heralding the spring. But there is a g?eat difference in the severity of the Dartmoor winters, and many pass during which the falls of snow are few and slight. And the other side of the picture? What a glorious region the old Moor is when, winter 18 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. having taken his departure, everything around starts into new life. And as the days grow longer, and the sun mounts higher and higher, how beautiful is the garb the hills assume, and how t rightly sparkle the streams in the golden beams that strike down into the valleys. Great patches of yellow aud purple where the furze and heather grow, waving ferns and dancing waters, grey recks and giant tors, all these meet the eye of the visitor wherever he may go. And over all there is a calm, restful feeling, which only such a great lone land as Dartmoor can beget; the sojourner there can shut out the world and live again in the old time. The beneficial climatic influence of Dartmoor over the county of Devon cannot be over- estimated. The Moor acts as a huge sponge, storing up the rainfall, and pouring it liberally, by means of the numerous streams, on every hand. By its bounty the valleys and plains of the lowlands are clothed with verdure, and the shire has come to be regarded as the place beautiful. Without these streams Devon would lose half her charms; in many a district where now are groves, and smiling fields, and orchards, sterility would reign. The health-giving breezes, too, that are wafted from this upland region cf the West are not the least of the advantages it bestows. Such is the great Moor which until comparatively recent years remained as a sealed book, not only to the people of the country at large, but to mest of the men of Devon themselves. Few spots are more interesting, and none can be found within the four seas where Nature holds com- pleter sway. Here she is still paramount, and in those parts of the waste where the handiwork of man has intruded itself, it is only in a few instances that such can be termed defacing. Apart from its natural beauties it has very much to attract. Its unrecorded history, to be learnt only from its rude stone remains; its position as an ancient Stannary district, and as a Royal Forest; its importance as a pasturage ground of the commoners of the county, and as a home of the settler ; and its later history as the scene of 19th century enterprise, invest it with an interest of no ordinary kind, and command the attention of ali who find delight in reading the story of the past. And this later page in the history of the Moor is net the least interesting. To look into it will enable us to learn something of it in our own days, and to see what effect the labours of man have had upon a primeval region. The ground we stand upon is firm ; the light by which we read is clear. We do not seek to penetrate the mists of antiquity, but only to lift the veil sufficiently high to enable us to look back over a hundred years. I. — The Moor at the Beginning of the iqth Century. AN AWAKENING-HOPES AND EXPECTATIONS-AN ANCIENT MILL-OLD ENCLOSURES AND NEWTAKES-" IMPROVERS -WAR PRISONS -SQUATTERS AND THEIR WAYS- VENVILLE TENANTS-SUMMERING OF SHEEP-A PIONEER ANTIQUARY, Old Nature's impress marks the moor From Hey Tor to the Western shore; Shaggy and stern and unreclaimed, She could not, if she would, be tamed. REV. E. W. L. DAVIES. The changes which came upon Dartmoor during the 19th century were far greater and more important than any it had previously undergone in historic times. When the morning of the 1st of January, 1801, dawned upon the old Moor, the sun saw it awakening, as it were, from a protracted sleep. It had commenced to emerge from a condition in which it had remained for centuries. From being a district only slightly regarded, and known but in little else than name, except to those who dwelt within or near its boundaries, it was about to become the object of no inconsiderable attention. That amid its tor-crested hills stirring events have taken place in days remote is very probable, and that its river valleys have been the scene of the Labours of the tin- streamer from early times to a comparatively recent date, and that a large trade in that metal was done, we are well aware. Yet, whatever the effect upon Dartmoor its position as the chief seat of the mining of Devon may have had, it was not so great as that resulting from the attention directed to it towards the end of the 18th century. Nothing productive of such far-reaching effects as the undertakings then embarked upon has ever occurred in the history of the Moor, a period extending back to the time when we first find it mentioned by name in a charter of King John. These operations took the form of attempts to reclaim certain parts of the Moor, and though, perhaps, not unqualified successes in themselves, a.nd doing little to alter the appearance of the great waste, which wears to-day, except over a comparatively small area, the same aspect it has ever done, had yet an important bearing in bringing the district into notice. The causes which conduced to draw attention to this wild district are not far to seek. The first, and chief, was the making of a road across its whole breadth, to connect the towns of Tavi- stock and Moretonhampstead, and the second the movement arising towards the close of the 18th century, in many parts of the country, for the enclosing and cultivating of waste lands, and which some years later was to assume great magnitude. Up to that time, and indeed for a long while after, a deal of ignorance prevailed as to the character of the interior of Dartmoor. Very little had been written about it, and except to the few dwellers in the villages on its borders who were in the habit of pasturing cattle upon it, and whoso duties brought them into occasional contact with its Inhabitants, it was mostly known only as a rocky, barren wilderness. But there were at the same time a few who refused to regard it entirely in this light, and who saw, or thought they saw, in Dartmoor a tract of land capable of being made productive, and, under a proper system of 20 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. cultivation, of yielding satisfactory results. Thes9 have certainly not justified the expectations raised. The soil and climate are alike unfavourable to the growing of grain on the Moor, which can only be done at considerable expense and in certain sheltered spots. What Risdon said of it early in the 17th century we find to be true : It is " richer in its bowels than in the face thereof," for though the amount of minerals obtained from it now is insignificant, it is certain that it has yielded far more tin than grain. But the Dartmoor farmer, whose ancestors in many cases had lived on the Moor for a long period, was wiser in the conduct of his operations, and did not forget the lesson he had been taught by those who had gone before him. They had recognised the futility of attempting to cultivate the soil to any considerable extent, and had turned their attention more to the pasturing of cattle and sheep. Some grain they grew for their own sus- tenance, and this is conjectured to have been principally rye. Charles Vancouver, referring to this grain in his Agricultural Survey, says that there was then none of that kind cultivated anywhere in the county, but that an opinion pre- vailed from the quantity of rye-straw which was found to form the lower layer of the thatch in old buildings, that it was formerly grown very largely, except upon the commons abutting on Dartmoor. By these he means the purlieus of the Forest, but he does not speak of what was done in the Forest itself, in the central portion of which the old enclosures are situated, and where rye-straw was also to be found in the thatch of old buildings. Instances of such discoveries have occurred in recent years, and a similar belief regarding these to that which Mr. Vancouver men- tions as existing in his time in other parts of the county still obtains on Dartmoor. That grain of some sort was grown is also shewn by the fact of a mill being established in the Forest previous to 1303. In that year mention of it is made in an account setting forth the profits arising from Dartmoor, and it is therein stated that the mill was constructed by the Kiug's tenants at their own cost, except for the timber, which was obtained in the King's wood. The mill is again mentioned in 1618, when it was said to be in the occupation of all the freeholders of the Forest. The enclosures existing upon Dartmoor at the beginning of the present century were princi- pally those belonging to thirty-five tenements within the Forest, which were of very ancient date. These were held, and most of them are still, by copy of court roll, and until 1796 the heir to each, or the purchaser of the inheritance, on the death of the tenant, possessed the right by custom of the Forest, to enclose eight acres of land, paying for the same one shilling yearly. This was termed the newtake, and was confirmed to the heir or purchaser at the Duchy Court held at Lydford Castle. Up to the end of the 17th century this privilege does not appear to have been frequently exer- cised, for in their answer to a bill filed in the Exchequer by the rector of Lydford in 1702 claiming tithes from the holders of these tenements, the defendants in their statement say that the number of newtakes within the Forest was only about thirty. The cost of enclosing a newtake, it was said, amounted to £20, and its value was not above £1 per annum. Later in the 18th century, how- ever, it is probable such had risen somewhat, for a greater desire to enclose was evinced by the various incoming tenants. As the eight acres were to be " exclusive of rock and bog," a sufficiency of ground was reckoned for such, and the newtakes consequently grew in size. To check this abuse the Duchy in 1796 withheld the privilege hitherto enjoyed by the holders of these Forest tenements, but continued, nevertheless, to permit the enclosing of land on a larger scale by making grants to others who possessed no ancient rights. The opening of the 19th century, therefore, saw upon Dartmoor a new class of settler, working side by side with the older inhabitants, but with more ambitious aims. Still, the land taken from the Forest was comparatively small in extent ; no enclosures existed to compare in size with those seen to-day. Besides the thirty-five ancient tenements there were also within the Forest the estate of Fernworthy, on the South Teign, in the neighbourhood of Chagford, the enclosures -- _^ r~ f* CROCKERX TOR. HLCCABY BRIDGE, OVER DART RIVER. THE MOOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 19th CENTURY. 23 of which were of long standing, being mentioned in the Forest Perambulation of 1609 ; the farm at Teign Head, of very much later date ; the newly-formed estate of Sir Thomas, then Mr. Tyrwhitt, known as Tor Royal ; the extensions at Prince Hall, itself one of the ancient tenements, and which were commenced by Mr. Gullet in 1780, the property being afterwards sold to Sir Francis Buller; and Bair Down, enclosed by Mr. Edward Bray ; of Tavistock. These, with several smaller holdings, some in the occupation of " squatters," constituted the whole of the enclosed lands within the Forest, and the long lines of stone walls, surrounding the great tracts, which are now to be seen on each side of the Moreton road, and which interfere with the rights of the commoners by forming a barrier across the Forest, did not exist. The earliest of these "improvers'' of the Moor were Mr. Gullet, whose operations at Prince Hall commenced, as stated, in 1780, and Mr. Bray. Mr. Gullet does not appear to have enclosed a great deal of land, devoting himself principally to improving that which already belonged to the old tenement of Prince Hall, and to the erection of suitable buildings. On the property passing into the hands of Sir Francis Buller much ground was enclosed, the estate altogether comprising some 2,000 acres, and as many as 40,000 trees were planted. Sir Francis also greatly improved the house, as well as building the inn at Two Bridges. But though he has left his mark on Dartmoor his efforts at cultivation and planting were not attended with great success, for before his death, in 1800, nearly the whole of the trees, consisting largely of larch and firs, had perished. Mr. Bray's operations were on a smaller scale, but yet sufficiently ambitious. He built a house at Bair Down, threw a bridge over the Cowsic, formed large enclosures, and planted a great number of trees. It would not, however, appear that the undertaking was of a very remunerative character, for we learn that in 1832 the estate was then let to a farmer named Hannaford for a very trifling rent. Five years after Mr. Gullet commenced his work at Prince Hall, namely, in 1785, Mr. Tyrwhitt, afterwards member of Parliament for Plymouth, and Lord Warden of the Stannaries, began his efforts to bring a part of the Moor into cultivation, choosing as the scene of his attempt a fairly sheltered situation just within the western boundary of the Forest. This he named Tor Royal, and his operat : ons were corducted most judiciously, although not enabling him to realise all he had hoped. He formed plantations and erected a house and farm buildings, the whole being completed in 1798. Princetown, which is less than a mile from Tor Royal, owes its existence to suggestions made by Mr. Tyrwhitt to the Government that a site near his newly-formed estate would be well adapted for a war prison. The accommodation at Plymouth for the French prisoners of war had been found to be insufficient, and Mr. Tyrwhitt's plan was favourably received. On the 20th March, 1806, he laid the foundation-stone of the buildings destined to receive so many cap- tives, and close at hand a little settlement soon arose. Thus the first step in the 19th century progress of the Moor was the result of the attention shortly before directed to it as a region capable of being stripped in some parts of its wild aspect and yielding to the hand of the cultivator. In addition to those already named as having taken in hand the reclamation of a part of Dartmoor, enclosures were also made a little later, with the same aim, by Messrs. Thomas and John Hullett, the Rev. Mr. Vollans, who purchased their land on the death of the former, the Rev. J. H. Mason, for many years vicar of the Moorland parish of Widecombe, and Mr. Thomas Sanders. To these others have succeeded in more recent years, and although not proving particularly profitable undertakings the practice of enclosing might, from a desire on the part of some to acquire exten- sive tracts of land at a low price, have continued to the present time had not the attention of the Duchy been called to the serious encroachments that were being made on the rights of the com- moners. The practice of "squatting" on the Moor had not been stopped at the beginning of the C 24 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. 19th century. The belief that formerly obtained in regard to it was that if a house could be erected and a piece of land enclosed in a single day between sunrise and sunset, the builder could claim such as his own. The last instance of such a proceeding occurred about 1835, when a small house now known as Jolly Lane Cot, was built by the side of the road leading to Hexworthy Bridge, on the West Dart. Everything being in readiness, the labourers of the neighbourhood met on the site, on a day when the farmers, who, as holders of the ancient tenements, had rights on the Forest, and would, it was feared, have prevented their plans, had departed to attend Ashburton Fair. Work was commenced, all cheerfully lending assistance. Even before the walls at one end of the house were up, the laying on of the thatch of the roof had begun at the other. By evening all was done, and the "squatters" were in possession. But this attempt at "land cribbing" was only partially successful. It is true no ejectment followed, but a small rental was put upon the place by the Duchy. The cottage was inhabited until her death, in March, 1901. by the aged widow of its erector, who built it in order to provide a home for his parents. These houses were, of course, very rudely constructed, as, indeed, were all the dwellings of the Moor farmers a hundred years ago, though such as had been built under different circumstances were of a more enduring type. They were low erections, with thick walls of granite blocks, roughly squared, and roofs of thatch. The doorway, often arched, gave admittance not only to the farmer and his family, but to the cattle as well, one part of the house being apportioned to the former and the other to the latter. Narrow, spiral, stone staircases sometimes led to upper apartments, and in the quarters of the cattle, stones projecting from the wall, in the manner of a hedge stile, formed a means by which the loft, or tallet, could be reached. Thus the cattle could be supplied with the fodder that was there stored without the necessity of the owner leaving the house, a provision evidently intended as a safeguard against the snowstorms and general inclemency of winter. Several old houses of this kind are still to be seen on and around the Moor. The Moor farmer's lot was a hard one, and yet its Free and independent character doubtless rendered him happy in his way. With no luxuries, he was yet not deficient of many comforts ; and though there was little cessation to his labour, he knew that his work was directly for the benefit of his family and himself — that he was the lord of his own little estate. Raising his scanty crops and attending to his cattle pastured on the Moor, and in summer cutting and preparing peat for fuel, were his principal occupations. The implements he used were rude and primitive in style. His plough was a clumsy- looking contrivance of wood, yet doing its work well, and which he knew as a sull ; while for threshing he used the flail — drashel in the Devon vernacular — for although threshing machines were coming into use in most parts of the county in the early years of the 19th century, such were utterly unknown on Dartmoor. Wheeled conveyances he had none, everything being carried on the backs of horses on crooks or in dung-pote, or drawn by oxen on a slide, or sledge. The crooks were formed of curved poles, connected by bars, and being placed over a pack-saddle, kept in position the load which was piled on the latter. A shorter kind were called crubs, which were employed when they best suited the nature of the burden to be carried. By means of these appliances, peat and furze, which formed the Moor farmer's only fuel and kindling wood, and dried ferns, which he used as litter for his cattle and horses, were conveyed, as well as other articles of a similar kind. In the dung-pots was carried the manure from the farmyard to the fields. Oxen were used both for ploughing and for draught purposes. It is stated that a team of ten oxen was required to plough the fields of the now deserted farm of Hen Tor, in the Plym valley, and twelve yoke were employed to transport the great flat stone from the despoiled meeting-place of the stannators on Crockern Tor to Dunnabridge Farm, Oxen were also used THE MOOR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 19th CENTURY. 25 to remove from its original position Ouldsbroom Cross to Town Farm, nearly two miles distant, where it was made to serve the purpose of a gate-post, and an old man living at the Higher Lodge, Spitchwick, some thirteen years ago, was able to remember the names by which the animals were knowji. The timber used in the construction of Fox Tor Farmhouse, to which there is no road, was also drawn by oxen, and their employment seems to have been as general on the Moor as in the other parts of Devon. Very primitive was the contrivance for the hanging of gates, by which hinges and posts were altogether dispensed with, some examples of which still exist. The bottom of one of the stanchions of the gate was placed in a socket cut in a stone sunk level with the ground, its upper end fitting loosely into another, drilled in a stone projecting from the top of the wall. Doors of outbuildings were also hung in the same way. Another plan for securing the entrance to a field was the use of bars, placed in sockets and slots, cut in posts standing in the position of gateposts. Panniers were also in common use for the conveyance of certain produce to the markets of the small Moorland border towns, and on the pillion rode the farmer's dame when she journeyed with her good man, sharing with him their single horse. Besides the cattle and sheep pastured on the Moor by the holders of the Forest tenements, there were also large numbers turned upon it by the occupiers of certain estates in the parishes surrounding Dartmoor, who were known as Venville tenants, and this is the case at the present day. In 1793 considerable pains were taken to ascertain the number of sheep summered on the Moor, when it was found there were from 110,000 to 120,000 so pastured. In 1797 the number had fallen to about 80,000, the decrease, it was considered, being brought about in large measure by the action of the "improvers" of Dartmoor, who in forming their enclosures had taken from the commoners the best parts of the Forest. Mining on Dartmoor and on its borders, which for some time had not been in a flourishing condition, began to revive somewhat towards the end of the 18th century, but several of the mines working during the early years of the 19th have since been abandoned. From the earliest times Lydford Castle has been connected with Dartmoor, and until the Duchy Courts were removed to Princetown they were held there. The Castle is now a ruin, but less than a hundred years ago it was in tolerable repair. The court was held in a large apartment above-stairs, on three sides of which was a railing. It was furnished with a seat, called the judge's chair, and with others for the accommodation of the members. The Lord of the Forest of Dartmoor, whose courts here assembled, was during the closing years of the 18th and opening years of the 19th centuries George Augustus Frederick, Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. At the same time that modern agricultural efforts on Dartmoor were in progress, attention of another kind was being paid to that interesting region. In 1802 the Rev. E. A. Bray, son of the founder of Bair Down, entered upon his investigations of the pre-historic remains on the Moor, a work, however, that had been begun by Polwhele several years previously. This has been continued by others during the century, with the result that much light has been let in upon the subject, and has enabled us to learn something of the meaning and uses of these ancient monuments, When the 19th century dawned Dartmoor, though crossed by a good road, still remained to most a terra incognita. The rude houses of the settlers, with a few exceptions, were the only habitations upon it, and agricultural improvements were in their infancy. Where Prince- town now stands was then a barren waste, and there was little on the Moor to show the change that was impending. That change has come, and although the progress of years can be plainly marked to-day, yet is the face of the Moor altered but in a small degree. The vast tracts of land to the north and south of the an i to which attempts at reclamation have been confined are Btill as remote, as ever, and have lost nothing of their primeval aspect. II. — The Moorland Roads. ANCIENT WAYS -EARLY SETTLEMENTS -THE LICH PATH -CUT LANE-THE ABBOTS' WAY - OLD DIRECTING-POSTS-THE FIRST TURNPIKE ROAD : ITS BRANCHES-THE KING WAY-GIBBET HILL -TAKE-OFF STONE. How they wind Along the bending heath ! and now they climb The rooky ridge, where 'mid the broken crags The whortle's purple berries peep. REV. JOHN VINCENT. Previous to the making of the first turnpike road over Dartmoor, the Act for which was obtained in 1772, the Moorland region, though difficult of access, was by no means the trackless wild it has been generally supposed. Many ancient paths existed upon it, and though they were not such as might be calculated to entice the traveller from the lowlands far into the recesses of the Moor, they served the purpose of its inhabitants sufficiently well. That they were rough is only to say of them what could have been said of many of the roads of Devon a hundred years ago ; the chief difficulty a stranger would have found in traversing them was their lack of continuity. Plain and well worn in certain places, in others they were ill-defined, and not infrequently were impossible to be traced. This was owing to the nature of the ground over which they passed. Where such was boggy, or unusually bad, it was not unlikely to find the road made with some degree of care, such as removing the peat to ensure a hard surface ; but where it passed over solid ground there was little to indicate its direction. To those well acquainted with the Moor this was not of great moment, for knowing where they would strike it again — at a ford, or miry place, as the case might be — they would be able without much difficulty to make their way to that point. As the traffic over these paths was by no means great, and as a particular line was seldom kept by those in the habit of using them when riding over a plain tract of ground, there was frequently nothing to prevent the stranger from losing his way. These ancient ways may be seen to-day, and are, indeed, still used by the Moormen in driving their cattle across the waste. It is obvious that some are of early date, when we remember that the Forest tenements have been in existence for several centuries, and that such paths formed, until comparatively recent times, the only means of communication the holders of the latter possessed with the ingrounds, as the cultivated country around the Moor was termed. As early as 1260 two small settlements in the Forest, named Balbeny and Pushyll, were partially trans- ferred by Bishop Bronescombe from the parish of Lydford (in which the whole of the Forest lies) THE MOORLAND ROADS. 27 to that of Widecombe in consequence of their distance from the parish church proving inconvenient to the inhabitants. By this arrangement they were to worship at the latter place, to which they were comparatively near, making suitable offerings there three times a year, together with the tithe of lambs, and rendering their other tithes to Lydford. That place is spoken of in the document setting forth this regulation as being eight miles distant in fair weather and fifteen in foul, meaning that only in certain states of the weather could a direct line across the Moor to Lydford be pursued. This shows that there then existed some kind of path from the part of the Moor in which the Forest tenements are situated to the village named, and it is interesting to note that there are now two tracks to be seen leading to that place from the neighbourhood in question. One is known as the Lich Path and the other as Cut Lane, or Fur Tor Cut. The former would have served the Forest tenements lying in the valley of the West Dart, and the latter those situated near the eastern branch of that stream and on the Wallabrook. The Lich Path crosses the Cowsic and the "Walkham near their sources, where there are fording-places, and pursuing a north- westerly direction, points towards Hill Bridge, on the Tavy, whence Lydford Church is but three miles distant. Some way above Hill Bridge there is a ford, which in all probability was used in place of the former when the state of the water permitted it, as by crossing the stream at that spot the journey would be shortened. It is not far below Stannon Farm on the eastern bank, and on the west side there is a road leading from it to Willsworthy Farm. From that place, or from Hill Bridge, this ancient path passed over Black Down, and its direction is indicated by a tradition still existing in the neighbourhood. This states that an avenue of trees formerly extended from Yellowmead Farm to Watervale, which are situated one on each side of the Down, and as such would point directly to Lydford, there is little doubt that the Lich Path, which may in this part of its course have been marked by an occasional tree or bush, is here intended. Cut Lane, the more important track of the two, would not only have formed a means of communication between Lydford village and the Forest tenements, but also between that place and Chagford, and it leads, too, towards another track which runs from the remote parts of the Forest to the extreme northern borders of the Moor near Okehampton. Cut Lane extends from the upper valley of the East Dart to that of the Tavy, and is the only means by which horses and cattle can pass from one to the other. It consists of a strip of solid ground crossing a lofty ridge, otherwise wholly boggy. Portions of it may at some distant time have been artificially made by the removal of the peat, but the greater part of it is natural. Two slabs of granite, placed one on each side of the path, near its highest point, and visible for some distance, indicate its position, or, in misty weather, act as an assurance to such as may pass them that they are not straying from their way. Other stones also show its direction as it descends towards the river under Fur Tor. From the Tavy the path passed over a hill known as Watern Oke, crossed the Rattle Brook, mounted the ridge running northward from Hare Tor, and descended to the Lyd. From this stream it passed over High Down to the Moor gate, within a very short dis- tance of Lydford village. Another important road was that known as the Abbots' Way, an old monks' path, in the southern quarter of the Moor. It served as a means by which communication was maintained between the Abbey of Buckfast on one side of Dartmoor, and those of Buckland and Tavistock on the other, and is still in many places well defined. Among other ancient ways may be mentioned one loading from Walkhampton Common to Widecombe, from which another diverged to Holne, near a paved ford on the Wobrook, a tributary of the Dart ; a road from Buckfast to Plympton, passing over a portion of Brent, ITjjborouszh, and Harford Moors: besides numerous tracks made by the peat-rutter^. running from the border villages out to the Fore-t. The banks of turf and stone occasionally met 28 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. with, which have been termed trackways, and regarded by some as roads of a very early period, do not need our consideration here. The direction of the paths across the Moor was sometimes indicated by a granite cross, and in other instances by upright posts, on which was cut the initial letter of the name of the town to which the road led. A row of these rude directing posts may be seen near the well-known stone remains above Merivale, each bearing the letters A and T, denoting that they point the way to Ash- burton and Tavistock. On the path referred to as running from Buckfast to Plympton may be seen stones of a similar character, and also on the road between the Moor and Moretonhampstead. An entry regarding such stones is found in the Municipal Records of Plymouth, where £2 is entered as having been paid for putting up stones on Dartmoor for the purpose of guiding travellers from that town to Exeter, under date 1699-1700. Other allusions to old roads are met with in various documents. In a conveyance of a sett of tinworks, dated 1654, " the Horsepath " is named as one of the bounds ; in a deed relating to the Forest tenement of Brownberry, of the date 1701, paths near Brimpts and Dunnabridge are referred to ; and in a certificate as to Cator tin-bounds, presented in the Stannary Court at Chagford in 1754, mention of "the cross-roads" near Grendon is made. But the most important track on the Moor was one which ran from Tavistock across the Forest to Moretonhampstead and Chagford, with branches to Ashburton and Widecombe, and joined, it would appear from the entry in the Plymouth Municipal Records, by one from that town. Upon the line of this the present highways between the several places named were made. It not only connected those towns, but ran through that part of the Moor where were situated the ancient Forest tenements. It was carried over the streams by means of clapper bridges, many of which still exist in a more or less good state of preservation. These have no arches, the waterways being formed by huge slabs of granite laid from buttress to pier, which latter are composed of blocks of the same durable material. Rude and massive, and venerable in appearance, their age has fre- quently been over-estimated, but it is not probable that the oldest of them dates further back than mediaeval times. Of the existence of the track in question there does not appear to be any early documentary evidence, but it is doubtless that referred to in the Municipal Records just mentioned. It is also plainly shown, and the various points on it marked with some detail on a map, or rather plan, contained in a work published in 1720, entitled "Britannia Depicta ; or, Ogilby Improv'd." On the title-pa.ge it is stated to be a correct copy of an actual survey made by a Mr. Ogilby of all the direct and principal cross-roads in England and Wales. The road over Dartmoor is shown as a portion of one running from Exeter to Newbridge, on the Tamar, and which, on another of the plans, is continued to Truro. At fifteen miles from Exeter it passes through Chagford; and two miles further on enters upon the Moor, and here the name "Dart Moor" is marked upon it. In its course across the Forest branches to Lydford, Moretonhampstead, Widecombe, Ashburton, Plymouth, and other places are marked, as well as bridges, houses, and other objects. The clapper at Post Bridge, on the East Dart, i- marked " Post Stone Bridge, 3 Arches," and bridges are also shown over the Cherry Brook, the West Dart, at the spot now known as Two Bridges, and at Merivale, on the Walkham That the-e bridges were clappers there is little doubt ; at all events, it used to be stated by old people earlier in the century that the one at Two Bridges was such, and we know it was so in the case of Post Bridge. Two Bridges evidently took its name from the fact that two structures were to be seen there ; one, replaced by the modern county bridge over the West Dart, and the other not far above it, spanning the Cowsic, which, in a restored state, is to be seen to-day. It was mainly through the exertions of Mr. Turner, who at that tune was steward to the Duke of Bedford, that the Act of 1772, for the making of a road across Dartmoor was passed, considerable THE MOORLAND ROADS. 29 opposition to it having been shown by the towns of Bodmin, Launceston, and Okehampton. In the title of the Act reference is made to the road we have just described, as it was "for repairing and improving the roads from the town and borough of Tavistock to Cherrybrook in the Moor through Moreton, and also from Two Bridges to Dunnabridge Pound, on the road from Tavistock to Ash- burton, and other places." This road, which was to do so much for Dartmoor, was the first by which wheeled vehicles were able to conveniently enter the Forest, the traffic across the waste previous to its construction being entirely conducted by means of pack-horses, and, indeed, princi- pally so for many years after its formation. Even in the lowlands carts and carriages were then rare, it being only about that period that the first coachmaker appeared in Plymouth. Crooks continued to be used on the Moor for a very long time after, particularly for the purpose of conveying peat. The making of a portion of the road from Tavistock to Moretonhampstead was contracted for by an aged Moorman named Carter, who lived in a rude hut near Rundle Stone, and who, with his sons, carried out the work. The road enters the Moor from Tavistock at the top of Pork Hill, and passing over the common, descends to the Walkham, which it crosses at Merivale Bridge, where was formerly a toll-gate. Then a long ascent leads to the Rundle Stone, which has disappeared within the last few years, and it enters the Forest. Its next point is Two Bridges, where it is joined by the road from Plymouth, which, entering upon the Moor at Peak Hill, above Dousland, pf.sses through Princetown. Crossing the West Dart, the road climbs the hill behind the inn, and here a branch diverges to Ashburton. Passing under Crockern Tor, on the summit of which was held for centuries the open-air Court of the Stannaries, the course of the road is between extensive parcels of enclosed land, but only cultivated in spots few and far between. The natural aspect is changed but little. All that is seen to indicate that man has looked covetously upon this, the most valuable part of Dartmoor to the commoners, are long lines of stone walls, very irregularly built, and covered with grey moss and lichen, and not wanting in the picturesque. The land they enclose is still the Moor, having never known the plough. Further on at the modern settlement of Post Bridge, agricultural efforts appear to have been fairly successful, the situation being a comparatively sheltered one. There, near the county bridge, was formerly a toll - gate, the second met with since entering upon the Moor at Pork Hill. At Post Bridge, too, the road passes very near to more than one of the Forest tenements, the whole of those in the valleys of the East Dart and Wallabrook being in the immediate neighbourhood. It then crosses Meripit Hill, and shortly afterwards the eastern boundary line of the Forest is passed. A little further on there is a branch to Chagford, and at the distance of another mile the main road leaves the Moor at the fourth milestone from Moretonhampstead. The branch from Two Bridges to Ashburton passes close to nearly all the ancient tenements in the West Dart Valley. Skirting Prince Hall, it crosses the Cherrybrook, runs by the gate of Dunnabridge Pound, an old enclosure to which estrays upon the Forest are driven at certain times, and soon after reaches the plantations of Brimpts. Here a road branches to Holne and BucKiastleigh, crossing the West Dart at Hexworthy Bridge, and, winding up the hill for some distance, is carried along its side to the Wobrook, where, at Saddle Bridge, it leaves the Forest, and three miles further on enters the enclosed lands at Holne Gate. The Ashburton road descends to Dartmeet Bridge, the date upon a tablet in the parapet of which is 1792. Previous to its erection there was, it is said, a ford at this spot, but means of crossing the stream during a flood, or when the water was unusually high, were also provided, for immediately above the modern bridge there was one of the kind we have already described. This clapper was washed away on the 4th August, 1826, when the river rose to a great height. A tree, borne on the torrent against 30 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. its piers, for a moment dammed back the waters, which with redoubled fury dashed themselves against the massive stones, and the structure was swept into the stream. It has within recent years been re-erected by the Dartmoor Preservation Association. From Dartmeet the road passes up the hill and over the common to the enclosed land around Pound's Gate, afterwards entering the Moor again to finally leave it at New Bridge. On the hill above Dartmeet there are branches to "Widecombe, and cross-roads also lead to that place from the section we have traced through Post Bridge. One of these is still only a rough track for a portion of its length; it passes through the ancient tenement of Bellaford, where is a ruined clapper on the East Dart. The making of this highway across the Forest, which, with its branches, was completed shortly before the close of the 18th century, opened the door for those who were to effect the great changes on the Moor that the 19th century witnessed. The portion of the Plymouth road between the Rock, on Roborough Down, and Two Bridges, was made by Mr. Heywood, of Maristowe, now the seat of Sir Massey Lopes. It is joined to the one leading from Tavistock by that which passes by the prison, and now forms the main thoroughfare of Princetown, and which was made through the instrumentality of Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt. There was formerly a gate at each end of it, that is, at Rundle Stone and by the Duchy Hotel. The latter was known as the Barrack Gate, and was also for a time used as a toll-gate. It remained until 1854, serving as boundary gate to the prison property. It was removed to Brimpts, where for many years it did duty in an altered form as an entrance gate. One of the granite posts to which it was hung is still standing close to a house opposite the Duchy Hotel, and another lies on the ground near the corner of that building. Sir Thomas also made a road to his property at Tor Royal. This was afterwards extended to White Works Mine, at the upper end of the Swincombe Valley, and is now a parish road. Another Moorland highway, and one of no slight importance, was that running between Ash- burton and Chagford. This was carried for several miles over the extensive commons lying to the eastward of the Vale of Widecombe, and atthe commencement of the 19th century probably boasted more traffic than it does to-day. Mr. Berry, of Ashburton, about that time established large woollen mills at Chagford, and the wagons belonging to those works used regularly to pass over the road. A ruined building at the foot of Rippon Tor, and by the roadside, marks the site of a little hostelry that formerly provided homely cheer to satisfy the needs of those who journeyed over this solitary highway. Meeting this road at Hemsworthy Gate, on the verge of Ilsington Common, is another, which runs from Bovey Tracey, passing at a short distance the well-known rock- pile of Hey Tor ; roads also lead from it to the Widecombe Valley. The road passing over Shaugh Common is undoubtedly on the line of an ancient track leading from Plympton to Tavistock, and afforded a means by which the good brothers of the Priory at the former place and those of the Abbey at the latter could visit each other. At many points along the route the wayside cross is still to be seen, one of the examples, near Marchancs Bridge at Meavy, being particulary fine. At Cadaford, or Cadworthy, Bridge, on the Plym, is the junction of this road with another coming from Cornwood, and passing by the Lee Moor Clay Works. There are not wanting indications that the latter highway also follows the line of an older path. Over Black Down the road from Tavistock to Okehampton runs for a distance of nearly three miles, being formed on the line of an old track called the King Way. The latter may be observed in places where the modern road has not followed it exactly. In the fields near Watervale and under the hill known as Great Noddon it is very plainly marked. The old bridge which carried it over the Lyd may still be seen, some short distance below the present Skits Bridge. The modern road passes over the shoulder of Gibbet Hill, the highest point of Black Down, the scene, as some stories say, of the death by burning of the wicked Lady Howard. Tales are also related in the neighbourhood of unfortunate wretches being confined there in an iron cage and SHAUGH BRIDGE. 1 1 1' NT TOR. TEIGN VALLEY THE MOORLAND ROADS. 33 left to die, as a punishment for their crimes on the highway. It is told of one that he existed for a considerable time in the cage, the country people supplying him with food, and that he was sometimes so ravenous that he had been known to devour candles, when the market folks going homeward had nothing better to offer him. It may be remarked that one of the gates of Black Down, at the end of Burn Lane, is still known as Ironcage Gate. By the side of this highway, not far from Skits Bridge, is a stone bearing the legend " Take off." In the days of toll-gates an extra horse was permitted to assist in pulling a heavy load, free of toll, over this road, from the neighbourhood of Okehampton, on the understanding that the animal was to go no further than this stone ; that it was here to be " taken off." Further on this road touches the Moor at one or two other points. There is another short road across Black Down, and from it one which was made within the past few years diverges above Wortha Mill, and conducts to the village of Brent Tor. In 1874 a road was cut from a point on the Moreton main road through a valley on the west flank of Hameldon, which has proved of no slight advantage to the occupiers of the farms lying around the upper waters of the West Webburn by enabling them to reach more quickly and easily the towns of Moretonhampstead and Chagford. It passes very near to the celebrated Grim's Pound, so that by its means visitors to this fine example of an ancient hut settlement can reach the object of their curiosity with ease. Grim's Pound was described by Polwhele over a hundred years ago, and a minute survey was made of it by A. C. Shillibeer in 1829. Vancouver, writing in 1807, alludes to the want of safe and convenient roads to the localities in the Forest where peat was cut for fuel. He says that it was reported that none of the Venville parishes had the power of making a rate for the forming and repairing of such paths, with the exception of Lydford. By this he appears to mean that the parishes alluded to could not do so with regard to the roads in the Forest, which is obvious, the latter being entirely within the parish excepted. The Dartmoor roads are all good, there being in such a district no lack of suitable material for their repair. That they are carried over some rather formidable hills is true, and in a great measure this was unavoidable. But they have opened up a region such as no other roads in England pass through. Apart from their value in bringing the Moorland farmers into closer touch with their neighbours in the enclosed country surrounding the great uplands, they have enabled thousands to learn something of the rugged old Forest by affording a means by which its heart may be reached without the risks attendant upon such an undertaking in the days when the rough track alone led to its recesses. III. — Industries of the Moor. ANCIENT PURSUITS-MINING FOR TIN, SILVER, LEAD, COPPER, AND ARSENIC-SMELTING HOUSES-GRANITE QUARRYING-HEY TOR STONE FOR LONDON BRIDGE-TWO RAILWAYS- SIR THOMAS TYRWHITT'S HOPES-CHINA CLAY-PEAT AND NAPHTHA-A POWDER WORKS-LICHENS FOR DYE -AGRICULTURAL EFFORTS-SHEEP FARMING- WARRENS. The fancicul designs I've zeed To make all zoorts o' trade Out heer upon the moor, I zim Ant many vorchins made; Vur when the genelmen com' out Ole Dartymoor to 'tack, They vind they've of en got to pay Vur scratchin' ov his back. UNCLE JAEJE. An examination of the remains of the primitive settlements on Dartmoor leads us to the conclusion that its earliest inhabitants were a pastoral and mining people, and when we come dowu to historic times we find that those two pursuits were likewise the principal ones engaged in by the dwellers among the hills and on its borders. There were also in these later days some attempts at tillage, and during summer the cutting of peat for fuel was carried on to no inconsiderable extent, but there appears to have been little else done. It remained for the 19th century to witness the introduction into the solitudes of the Moor of whatever at present exists there in the nature of an industry other than those named. But at the same time several of the undertakings of that century can only be regarded as developments of older industries. For hundreds of years those who lived on and near the Moor obtained their fuel from it, and the recent attempts to prepare peat, and place it upon the market, were only original in so far as they aimed at a wider distribution. During a very long time the scattered granite on the hillsides has been used in the towns and villages bordering on the Moor. Modern skill and enterprise merely extended the work, and quarrying huge blocks, sent them to the ends of the kingdom. It is obvious that in a district like Dartmoor the industries will be found to be but few, though it is also true that there have not been wanting those who apparently could see no reason why such should be the case. Much money has been lost in attempts to cultivate portions of the INDUSTRIES OP THE MOOR. 35 waste unsuited to such experiments, as well as in mining and other undertakings. There is an old saying humorously supposed to belong to the Moor — "If thee scratch my back thee shalt pay for't " — and experience has caused many to regret that the warning was left unheeded. Ruined buildings, disused tramways, rusty mining plant, and forsaken quarries, speak of the capital that has been sunk on the Moor, and of the blighted hopes of those who sought to make a profit from their ven- tures. One scarcely knows whether to deplore such misguided attempts or to applaud the spirit of enterprise which prompted them. It is more pleasant to do the latter, and when we remember that in certain cases the results have been such as to justify the undertaking, we shall perhaps find there is room for praise. At the time that attention was first directed to Dartmoor as a district likely to repay thy efforts of the cultivator, namely, about 1780, mining, which not only on the Moor, but throughout the whole of Devon, would appear to have been long dormant, commenced to revive. Some working miners having succeeded in raising small quantities of tin on the Moor, their operations attracted the notice of speculators, with the result that several mines were started or reopened. In 1786 a survey was taken at Moretonhampstead of the limits of the jurisdiction of the Stan- naries of Devon, the courts of which regulated all matters pertaining to the tin-mining of the county, and, it is to be presumed, hopes were entertained that the industry would again flourish. But such were not fully realised, for the closing years of the 18th century, and the opening ones of the 19th, saw many of the mines abandoned as unprofitable. Still, an impetus had been given, and Dartmoor mining, though meeting with varying success, has ever since been continued. The chief metal raised has been tin, but copper has also been found on the borders of the Moor, while some of the mines were worked for lead. In 1533 a lease was granted to Thomas Cromwell, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and others, of the lead mines in Dartmoor Forest, for twenty-one years, and in the early part of the 18th century lead mines were worked on the western confines of the Moor, in the parish of Mary Tavy, by a Mr. Moore, who was also employed in searching for copper. Wheal Betsy, one of the mines in the parish named, and situated on Black Down, was reopened in 1806, and for some years proved productive, a considerable quantity of lead being obtained from it. Some was smelted at the mine, and the remainder disposed of as ore ; there was a yield of about twelve ounces of silver to the ton of lead. Wheal Friendship, not far from the former, was also working at the same time, and has proved not only by far the most prosperous of the mines on the Dartmoor borders, but one of the most important in the whole county. Lead was at first raised from it, but it has since been productive of rich copper ore. Soon after it commenced working a cloud of miners' huts arose on the slope of Black Down, and the little settlement of Horndon, near the banks of the Tavy, was almost entirely formed by those employed in it. To-day Wheal Betsy is silent and deserted, but Wheal Friendship, though its palmy days appear to be over, is still working in part. Mundic is now raised in the mine, for the production of arsenic. Near where Princetown now stands, at Bachelors' Hall, there was a tin mine early in the century, and also one at Huntingdon, in the south quarter of the Forest, and another at Brimpts, in the neighbourhood of Dartmeet. Mines also existed on the Newleycombe Lake, a tributary of the Mew, and at several other places, but were all abandoned by 1815. Some have since been reopened and worked for a time, but the results have not been encouraging. In 1820 Vitifer .Mine, in the eastern part of the Moor, was worked on a large scale, and others of an important character were Eylesbarrow, near the head waters of the Plym, and White Works, on the Swincombe, about two mile* south-eaet of Princetown ; and at Gobbet, lower down the same Btream, there was .mother. A few small stream-works were also operated by labouring miners on their own account. Six years later the only mines at work on Dartmoor were Vitifer and Eyles- 36 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. barrow. At the latter there was a smelting-house, the ruins of which, standing in a solitary part of the Moor, may still be seen. Among other ruined buildings marking the site of comparatively recent mining ventures on the Moor may be named those at Ringleshutts, near Holne Lea ; at Knock Mine, on the Taw; and on the Rattle Brook, an affluent of the Tavy. There was a dweii- in_;-house at Ringleshutts connected with the mine, and which continued to be occupied after the latter was closed, but it was burned down many years ago. During the absence of their parents, some children accidentally set the place on fire, and on the arrival of the mother she found her home in flames. Fortunately, the children had run out of the house on seeing what they had done, and came to no injury. About twelve years ago a mine was opened near Hexworthy, on the site of some old workings, and for a time yielded tin of excellent quality. But it shared the fate of too many of the Dartmoor ventures, and after some years was closed. Recently, however, it has been reopened, and that, and Golden Dagger, near Post Bridge, are the only mines now at work on the Moor, and there are but few on its borders. At certain periods during the last century large num- bers of men must have found employment in the Dartmoor mines, and in more than one spot there were doubtless busy scenes. At all events it would appear as though such were the case, when we find that Hexworthy, which consists principally of a few farmhouses, once provided sufficient custom to support two houses of entertainment, and that at Headland, where there is now but a solitary warren-house, there was one. But the mining on Dartmoor has decayed ; the 19th century witnessed the rise of another industry; the quarryman has taken the place of the delver for tin. The new enterprise of transporting granite from the hills of Dartmoor to the distant towns was destined to do much for the district, for it not only proved a source of wealth, but with its advent came that of the railway also. To the Moor belongs the proud position of possessing the first railway constructed in Devon, and to the enterprising and accomplished Mr. George Templer, of Stover, is due the honour of projecting and completing it. A granite quarry having been opened close to the rock-piles of iley Tor, Mr. Templer designed a railway from the Stover Canal (made by his father) at Teigngrace to the hill named, for the purpose of conveying the stone to the barges. It was opened in September, 1820, the day being celebrated with great rejoicing. Considerable skill was displayed in the plan- ning of the line, the terminus at the quarries being 1,200 feet higher than the starting point at the canal. In place of ordinary rails blocks of granite, having a half -groove cut in them, were laid down, and on these the wagons ran, the wheels being without flanges. Horse-power, of course, was used for drawing them, except where the gradients rendered such unnecessary. From Teigngrace the granite was sent down the canal to Teignmouth, where it was shipped. Many important struc- tures were built of the Hey Tor granite, among others being the arches of London Bridge. But the undertaking was not long-lived. Cornish granite, it was found, could be shipped at less expense, and after a time the Hey Tor quarries were only worked for the supply of stone locally. Later they were deserted, and the railway disused. But a portion of it may still be seen, and remains as a monument to the enterprise of the man who thus boldly assailed the frontier heights of the Moor. While Mr. Templer was engaged in his desirable work on the eastern border of Dartmoor, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt was directing his energies to opening up its resources on the western side. Sir Thomas may be regarded as the founder of Princetown, since it was through his instrumentality that the war prison, which called the town into existence, was erected on the Moor. Many houses were built in the neighbourhood of the prison ; a mill and bakery were established at Bachelors' Hall, near by ; and a busy time was experienced from the opening of the prison, in 1809, until the peace of 1815. Then Princetown began to decline, and Sir Thomas, naturally desirous of checking sucu INDUSTRIES OF THE MOOR. 37 a state of things, devoted himself to the introduction of industries in the hope that prosperity might be regained. He advocated the reclamation of the Moor, proposing to clothe it with grain and grasses and fill it with an industrial population ; to export peat for fuel ; and to grow and spin flax and hemp, considering that such might be done to an extent sufficient to give employment to a large number of people. Sir Thomas set forth the advantages to be derived from his scheme in a statement made to the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, in November, 1818, con- cerning the formation of a railroad from Plymouth to Princetown, which the necessities of this plan involved. This was favourably received, and so indefatigable was Sir Thomas that in the following year the first Act of Parliament for the line was obtained. The company — incorporated as the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway Company— also held a long lease from Sir Masseh Manasseh Lopes of the granite on a portion of Walkhampton Common, and the line from Plymouth to this point was opened in 1823, three years after the opening of Mr. Templer's railroad at Hey Tor. The '" exports'' of Sir Thomas never furnished much of the traffic over the line, with the exception of the granite, which continued to be sent over it until the tramroad was replaced by the Princetown Railway, which now conveys it. The company assigned their lease of the quarries to the contrac- tors for the line, Messrs. Johnsons and Brice, who worked it for a considerable period. These quarries have proved one of the most lasting of any of the modern enterprises on Dartmoor, and at present are worked on a very large scale by Messrs. Pethick, of Plymouth. At Merivale Bridge are the granite quarries of Messrs. Duke, where signs are not wanting of the recent determination of the company to greatly extend their operations. This has necessi- tated an increase in the number of men employed, for whom additional accommodation has recently been provided. Not possessing the advantage of a railway, like the quarries near King Tor, teams of powerful horses are employed to convey the stone to the railway at Tavistock. Much granite has also been worked near Pu Tor, in the vicinity, while smaller quarries have from time to time been opened in various parts of the moorland border for the supply of local needs, and to furnish stone for the construction of railway bridges and viaducts. At Trowlsworthy, on the Plyin, a small quantity of red granite was formerly obtained, which was said to be very fine, admitting of a good polish. About sixteen years ago a vein of granulitt was discovered in the Meldon Gorge, near Oke- hampton, which was pronounced by Mr. Seimens to be the best specimen he had ever seen, and was successfully used in glass-making. In the southern parts of the Moor a considerable quantity of china clay has been raised, and the works at Lee Moor afford a gratifying contrast to tnany of the enterprises of which the uplands of Devon have been the scene. These were opened in 1834 by the father of the late Mr. John Phillips, and the industry is now an important one. Fire bricks began to be made a few years after the works started, and this was followed by the manufacture of sanitary ware. The under- taking has been in the hands of the present company — Messrs. Martin Brothers — for several years, and great extensions have taken place during that period. Recently a very large pit has been sunk at a spot named Whithill Yeo, and when it is fully opened out it will probably be the largest of the kind in the world. A tunnel communicating with it has been driven for a considerable distance through the solid granite. A tramroad connects the Lee Moor clay pits with the Cattewater, whence the clay is shipped in considerable quantities. Other works of a similar character exist in the neighbourhood, at Hemerdon and near Cornwood, and on Wigford Down much clay has also been raised. But not all of the Dartmoor clay works have been so successful as those at, and around, Lee Moor. In the neighbourhood of Brent attempts have been made to establish the industry, but with disappointing results, the quality of the clay not being sufficiently good to render the working of it remunerative. Clay also exists in the neighbourhood of Hey Tor. 38 A HUNDRED YEARS ON' DARTMOOR. Peat, as an article of commerce in the shape of fuel, and its use in other ways, has also received the consideration of the modern speculator. About 1844 Mr. Peter Adams, of Plymouth, asso- ciated with Mr. Jacob Hall Drew, and another gentleman, started works for the manufacture of naphtha. The site at first chosen was at Bachelors' Hall, but the works were shortly afterwards removed to the vacant war prison, a railroad having in the meantime been cut from that building to parts of the Moor known as Omen Beam and Greena Ball, where a tract of land had been secured, under grant from the Duchy, on which was an abundance of peat. At the works naphtha and oils were extracted from the peat, and candles as well as gas for lighting the premises were made. The cost of the works, including the railroad, amounted to £19,000. But the enterprise did not meet with the success expected. A few years and operations ceased ; the prison was deserted once more, to be opened in 1850 as a depot for convicts. In the south of Dartmoor a similar undertaking was also carried on, and at about the same time. The peat beds were on the Forest, near the head of Red Lake, a feeder of the Erme, the naphtha works being at Shipley Bridge, nearly four miles distant. The peat was con- veyed thither by means of a tramroad constructed for the purpose, the rails of which were neither of iron like the Princetown line, nor of granite like the one at Hey Tor, but of wood. These rails were bolted down to blocks of granite, and answered their purpose sufficiently well. An oppor- tunity was not, however, afforded of effectually testing their durability, the operations at the peat beds embracing too brief a period. More recently efforts have been directed to the cutting of peat for fuel on a large scale. The West of England Compressed Peat Company was formed about twenty-two years ago for that purpose. The scene of operations was at the source of the Rattle Brook, and a railway was constructed from Bridestowe Station, on the London and South-Western line, to the peat beds. A considerable plant was erected, and a large quantity of peat cut and despatched from the district, but after a very brief existence the company ceased working. Several attempts have since been made to restart the works, but the operations have proved to be short-lived. Quite lately, however, attention has again been directed to them, and there are now reasons for supposing not only that Rattle Brook Head will become a busy scene, but that a new industry will be introduced on Dartmoor. At Walkham Head peat works were also started about the same time as those on the Rattle Brook, but not on so extensive a scale. Grass and heather now cover the pits, and beyond a frag- ment of wall little remains to mark the scene of the enterprise. In the early days of the convict prison at Princetown, and before the opening of the railway to Tavistock, when coal could only with difficulty be carried into the Moor, peat was cut by the convicts for fuel and for the making of gas. The labourers who cut it for farmers and others are paid a recognised sum per "journey," as it is termed, and which consists of a length of forty yards and of twice the width of the spade used. A good workman will cut about two "journeys" a day. Formerly peat was not only the fuel of the Moor farmer, but was also used extensively in the -urrounding towns and villages, where it was quite a common thing to see strings of pack-horses laden with it in the streets. One aged dame, who lived all her life on the Moor, told us several years ago that in her youthful days she used tc take large quantities of it to Ashburton and to Horrabridge for sale. She particularly remembered the eagerness with which the inhabi- tants would look for her arrival on her accustomed days, and how her customers would crowd round her pack-horses in order to be supplied. To the poorer people she sold it in small lots, often penny- worths or two pennyworths. She related how one poor woman at Ashburton, who depended upon laundry work for her living, was always waiting for her when she entered the town, and would be INDUSTRIES OF THE MOOR. 39 served with a small quantity of the fuel. This she would usually pay for at the close of the day, having seldom any money until by a hard morning's work she had earned sufficient to enable her to discharge the debt and supply herself with the few necessaries sbe required. The donkey was also often employed for conveying peat into the towns, especially by the poorer class of labourer who was unable to attain to the ownership of a Moor pony. And many of these animals were capable of carrying a considerable load, as their owners were often fond of relating. One of these animals, which formerly belonged to James Stephens, an old man who lives in the parish of Mary Tavy, where he has resided all his life, developed quite a liking for the work. His owner — Uncle Jimmy, as he is still familiarly termed — also possessed a pony, and with the two animals used to bring home his peat from his "tie " — the name given to the pits where it is cut. The donkey always insisted upon being loaded first, and should his master, or any of the labourers who might be present, commence giving either of their ponies their burden before he was attended to he would resent it, or, to use the words of the old man, " he would get in a proper tear," and was only to be appeased by the piling of his load on the crooks. On a hearth ; peat makes a capital fire, as all who have seen a "yafful o' turve " placed on the crackling furze will admit. But the quantity of ash resulting from it renders it scarcely suitable for burning in a grate. This ash, or dust, the Moor people call "briss." Other industries have been established on Dartmoor during the century, but have had 'heir day. In 1844 Mr. George Frean, of Plymouth, started a powder manufactory between Two Bridges and Post Bridge, which was carried on until quite recently by Mr. C. F. Williams. Mr. Frean, who lived in Drake's-place, and was an alderman of Plymouth for many years, did a great deal for the advantage of the Moor. In an obituary notice which appeared at his death in 1868 it was stated that he "was much commended by the Prince Consort for his improvements on Dartmoor." He was a man of great enterprise, and sank large sums of money on the Crown property on the Moor, which he rented. Rather over twenty years since ice works were established on the common above the little village of Sourton, but operations were not of long continuance. The collecting of lichens from the rocks of Dartmoor, and which were used for making a dye, at one time almost assumed the character of an industry. Women and children were employed in the task, and were able to earn about two shillings a day. About 1828 many tons were collected on the commons near Okehampton, and later on in the southern part of the Moor. People were appointed to receive the moss, which was sent to Plymouth for exportation, and formed a profitable article of commerce. It is said that during the five years following 1762 nearly one hundred tons of lichen were collected on the Moor. Sedge was also gathered early in the 19th century by women, who found a market for it at Plymouth, where it was used in the making of mattresses. The most noticeable agricultural operations on the Moor are those on the prison farm, where, the question of profit not being the main consideration, and exceptional advantages being possessed, fair success has been achieved. Crops of barley are raised, pastures formed, and on the portion allotted to garden produce all kinds of vegetables grown. Cattle and ponies are reared, and a large herd of cows kept for dairy purposes. Except for carting, horses are not employed on the farm, all the work being done by the convicts. To such a state of perfection as is seen on this farm the ordinary Dartmoor farmer cannot, of course, attain. But he makes the best of his surroundings with the means at his command. If it should be thought that he lacks enterprise, and follows too closely the methods of his predecessors, it would be well to remember that he has not as yet seen any remarkable success attend the efforts of those who have departed from such a course. Within comparatively recent years the folding of large flocks of Scotch sheep has been intro- duced upon Dartmoor, and with some success. The ruins of a large enclosure, covering about three- quarters of an acre, and known as the Sheepfold, may be seen near Hartland Tor, on the East Dart, 40 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. It was built by a Scotchman, who engaged extensively in sheep farming on the Moor, and was admirably adapted to its purpose. In the courtyard, the walls of which are of considerable height, and massive, were a number of covered pens, and at one end was a dwelling-house. There is no similar erection in any other part of the Moor. It was burned down a few years prior to 1830, and it is said that a child perished in the flames. In more recent years the late Mr. Lamb took Prince Hall and other properties on the Moor, and devoted his attention to the rearing of Scotch sheep on a large scale. Several warrens exist upon Dartmoor, and some appear to be of long standing. In the account of the great thunderstorm at AVidecombe, in 1638, mention is made of a warrener, and it is notice- able that in the immediate neighbourhood of that place several warrens may be seen to-day. Trowlsworthy Warren was granted by Baldwin, Earl of Devon, to Sampson de Traylesworthy at some period before 1272, and in 1551 it was leased to William Woollcombe, being conveyed to him nine years later, and has since continued in that family. Near by are other warrens on the Plym, and on the Avon is Huntingdon Warren, formed shortly after 1808. But the Moorman's duties form the most important of the Dartmoor industries, and next to mining probably the most ancient. Large numbers of sheep and cattle are annually pastured on the Forest and surrounding commons, and it is the Moorman's business to take charge of these. The quarters of the Forest are farmed out by the Duchy, and the lessees receive beasts to graze during summer, at a certain charge, also sub-letting the right to do the same to other Moormen. The latter likewise look after the ponies belonging to various owners — hardy animals that are born on the Moor. The value of Dartmoor as a grazing ground cannot be over-estimated, and employed as such it is put to its best and truest use. The quarrying of granite and raising of clay may be said to constitute the only two industries that 19th century enterprise has firmly established on the Moor, and these, with farming, and its kindred pursuits, are all that at present exist upon it of any importance. Speaking generally, there is little difference in what is now carried on in the ancient Forest and its confines from that which flourished there hundreds of years ago. Those of an olden day understood the real use of Dartmoor, and experience has proved that not much can be added to their simple undertakings, except at a loss. NORTH BOVEY. Ancient Cross in foreground MEETING OF EAST AND WEST DART. IV. — The Churches of the Dartmoor Country. THE CATHEDRAL OF THE MOOR-WILLSWORTHF CHAPEL-HOLSTOCK-SPITCHwTCK- STICKLEPATH-ANCIENT CHURCHES AND CHAPELS-BRENT TOR-MODERN MISSIONS- PRINCETOWN CHURCH-REGISTERS- CHURCH-HOUSES-A PETERTAVY STORY-A SPORT- ING PARSON-CHARLES KINGSLEY'S BIRTHPLACE. Impressive spot For fair Religion's dome ! — and sure, if aught Can prompt to holiest feeling, and give wing To disembodied thought, it is to bend The knee where erst the daring eagle perched ; And while, with all its grossness and its care, Earth waits, far, far below, to worship there. CARRINGTON. Less than a hundred years ago no building designed for public worship existed within the bounds of the Forest of Dartmoor, though many churches belonging to the Moorland parishes stood on the verge of the commons that lie around it. As the Forest is entirely within the parish of Lydford, that church was supposed to serve the inhabitants of the great central waste. Its dis- tance, however, from the settled parts of the Forest rendered the attendance there of the holders of the ancient tenements almost impracticable. Documentary evidence shows that as far back as 1260 they resorted to the Church of Wide- combe, ss being considerably nearer, and had probably always been accustomed so to do. This was continued through successive centuries, as we learn from records contained in the Widecombe parish chest, and such was indeed the practice until comparatively recent years. The little village of Widecombe lies in a narrow, cultivated vale running far up into the Moor- lands, and overlooked by lofty, rugged tors. Its church, delightfully placed on slightly rising ground, where the valley widens somewhat, is one of which the dwellers in the upland region of Devon may well be proud. The style is Perpendicular, and the tower — a handsome structure, which has been compared to that of Magdalen College, Oxford, and pronounced by a competent authority to rank first among the granite towers of the West for sharpness and finish of detail — is said to have been built by some successful tinners as a thankoffering. The church comprises nave and E 44 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. chancel, with chancel aisles, north 'and south aisle's, south transept, and south porch, and with its noble tower, well becomes the title so often bestowed upon it of the Cathedral of the Moor. The great thunderstorn at Widecombe, in October, 1638, when four persons who were present at the Sunday afternoon service were killed, and many seriously injured, has found frequent mention. The officiating minister was the Rev. George Lyde, who held the vicarage for many years, and who, when one stood up in the midst of the appalling storm, and asked whether they should venture out of the church, answered, "It is best to make an end of (i.e. with) prayer, for it were better to die here than in another place." Considerable damage was done to the church, and huge stones were thrown from the tower to a great distance. On the south side of the latter traces of the effects of the lightning may stili be observed. This sanctuary in the combe was within a comparatively easy distance of nearly the whole of the ancient tenements, they being situated in the south-eastern part of the Forest, and thus, Bishop Brone^combe having permitted the holders to contribute their offerings there, together with the tithe of lambs — all other tithes being reserved to the vicar of Lydford — " Widecombe-in-the-Dart- moors" became the church of the Forest population. Another part of Dartmoor which was settled in early times possessed its own chapel. This was a district in the upper valley of the Tavy, known as the Hamlet of Willsworthy, and forming part of the parish of Peter Tavy. Not being within the Forest, there are no records of the holdings similar to those of property pertaining to the Duchy, and consequently little is known of their early history. But there are still existing old farmhouses in the Hamlet district of similar kind to those in the valleys of the Dart and Wallabrook. The present-day aspect of the hamlet, which is of considerable extent, is somewhat different from that of years ago, cultivation having in parts altered its face ; but there is, nevertheless, much of it that is still unchanged. The chapel of Willsworthy, the ruined walls of which yet remain, is situated near a tributary of the Tavy. The path leading to it was formerly carried over the stream by a small clapper bridge, which has been widened, and furnished with parapets to fulfil modern requirements. The path is now a parish road, and runs from the village of Mary Tavy to the Moor, on which it emerges at a place well designated Lane End, and within a mile of Tavy Cleave. The chapel in which wor- shipped the old-time dwellers in these remote Moorland farms has long fallen to decay, and since its walls echoed the last hymn of praise has been put to baser uses. There are those who oan still remember when it was used as a barn ; but to-day it is roofless, and even its walls are being resorted to as a convenient quarry. Other settlements in very early days had also their chapels — small sanctuaries, standing some- times in solitary places on the skirts of the great Moor. At Halstock, in the parish of Okehampton, and not far from the Forest boundary, was anciently one, but of its history nothing is known. It is mentioned in the Forest Perambulation of 1240 as St. Michael's Chapel of Halstock, but the only vestiges of it are the lines of its foundations marked by low mounds in an enclosure known as Chapel Lands. It is also traditionally reported that a chapel existed in that part of the Moor, separated from the common by a wall, and forming Okehampton Park. A few fragments of window tracery lying on the ground are shewn in confirma- tion of it ; but there appears to be no real evidence that an ecclesiastical building ever found a place there. The site is marked on the recent Ordnance map. At Spitchwick, in the parish of Widecombe, formerly stood the Chapel of St. Leonard, long since decayed, and in the parish of Meavy was anciently the Chapel of St. Matthew, licensed by Bishop Lacey in 1433. The chapel-of-ease at Sticklepath, at the foot of the celebrated Cosdon Beacon, was formerly a chantry, said to have been erected by Joan Courtenay in 1146. Another ancient foundation is mentioned in a presentment in the Court Rolls of the Manor THE CHURCHES OF THE DARTMOOR COUNTRY. 45 and Forest of Dartmoor, where in the 38th Henry VI. complaint is made against Richard Westcott, of Throwleis;h, for "preventing the King's lieges from using a way leading to the Chapel of St. Mary of Wallen, and so towards the Forest." There were also chapels at Teigncombe, Great Weeke, and Rushford, in the parish of Chagford ; and between North Bovey and Manaton is a building now belonging to a farm, the style of the architecture of which plainly proclaims its original use. The most curiously-placed church of any belonging to the moorland district, or, indeed, in the Westcountry, is that of Brent Tor, situated as it is on the summit of a lofty peak. This has caused it to become the subject of tradition, and the stories of its having been erected in fulfilment of a vow made by a merchant in distress at sea, and also that the Evil One removed the stones to the present site from the valley where it was first intended to build the church, in the hope, it is pre- sumed, that none would be found with sufficient zeal to climb to so high a place to worship, are well known. Brent Tor Church was, however, erected by the monks of Tavistock Abbey, who had a number of preaching stations in the neighbourhood. Mention is made of it in 1283, and it has been considered probable that it was standing at least half a century earlier. Brent Tor parish now possesses a second church, built in recent years. It is close to the little village of the same name, but the church on the hill is still the mother church, and service is held there on each Sunday. A narrow strip of cultivated country now separates the down on which the tor stands from the rest of Dartmoor. On the summit of Brent Hill, on the south of the Moor, are the scanty remains of a small building, marked on maps as the chapel. There is, however, no evidence that such ever existed on the hill. The manor of Brent belonged to Buckfast Abbey until the Dissolution, and it is, of course, possible that the monks may have erected a chapel there, but there are reasons for believing that the ruins are those of a shelter for the watchers of the beacon. The parishes of which portions goto make up Dartmoor are thirty-three in number or (thirty- four if Brent Tor is included), the greater part of it, however, being comprised within that of Lydford. The churches of several of these parishes stand upon the verge of the Moor, the others being in some cases a mile or two from its borders. Those in close proximity to the waste are Holne, Harford, Shaugh, Sheepstor, Meavy, Walkhampton, Sampford Spiney, Peter Tavy, Sourton, Belstone, Throwleigh, Gidleigh, North Bovey, Manaton, Buckland, and Widecombe. Those further removed from the edge of the commons are Buckfastleigh, Dean, South Brent, Cgborough, Cornwood, Plympton St. Mary, Whitchurch, Mary Tavy, Lydford, Bridestowe, Oke- hampton, South Tawton, Chagford, Lustleigh, Bovey Tracey, Ilsington, and Ashburton. The Moorland portions of these, with a few exceptions, lie immediately around the Forest, and the greater number are what is known as Venville parishes ; that is, they possess certain ancient rights of pasturage and turbary on the Moor. Brent Tor, though so close to the common lands, is not usually reckoned among the Dartmoor parishes, since only a few acres of the great waste is now within its boundaries The inhabited portions of Dartmoor, however, down to the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, being principally the district on the east side of the Forest where were situated the ancient tenements, the Vale of Widecombe, also on the east, and the Hamlet of Wills- worthv on the west, the churches chiefly resorted to by the actual dwellers on the Moor, were, in addi- tion to Widecombe, probably Manaton, Holne, Sheepstor, Peter Tavy, and occasionally Lydford. The others mentioned served the needs of those who lived on the skirts of the waste, and not of the dwellers in its interior. With the commencement of modern agricultural operations on the Moor, and a consequent increase in its population, arose the necessity for the regular conduct of Divine service in the midst of the newly-formed estates. 46 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR, Sir Francis Buller, the pioneer of those -who endeavoured to introduce cultivation on a large scale into the district, was the first to look after the spiritual wants of those around him. Even' Sunday worship was conducted at his house at Prince Hall, and thus for the first time in the history of the ancient Forest public religious service was held within its confines, and the move- ment then initiated has continued to extend. A little later Mr. Bray, at Bair Down, also took up the desirable work, and for two years, by a dispensation from the Bishop of Exeter, Divine service was performed in a barn, close to the farmhouse, by one of the chaplains of the Prince of Wales. When the war prison was opened in 1808, and Prince Town (so called in honour of the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV.), sprang up in the midst of the desert, it was soon determined to build a church. The French and American prisoners of war were employed on the work, the^former in building, and the latter in fitting up the edifice. It is dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels, and is a plain structure, with a tower which from some parts of the Moor forms a conspicuous landmark. The interior has hitherto had little to attract, but early in October, 1899, the work of restoring the fabric was commenced. It is estimated that the cost of this will amount to between £1,500 and £2,000, of which about £540 was given by the Treasury, on the recommendation of the Direc- tors of H.M. Prisons, in lieu of convict labour. The fact that Princetown Church was built by captives far away from their native land must always command for it a melancholy interest. But the Established Church was not alone in caring for the spiritual needs of the inhabitants of the Moorland district in the early years of the past century. Indeed, the Methodists have been described as being the pioneers in the good work of raising in the scale of humanity the small farmers and peasantry, as well as the miners. Dissenting chapels may be found on the fringe of the waste around the whole of Dartmoor, and quite early in its history Princetown possessed a chapel of the Wesleyans. The present struc- ture belonging to that body, which in the moorland town has many adherents, is a building of some pretensions. In the house at Lee Moor, in the early days of the Clay Works, a service for Dissenters was regularly conducted for a considerable period; and in many other border villages and hamlets, where there are now small places of worship, a beginning was made by the conducting of service in private dwellings. The mission chapel at Lee Moor was the gift of Messrs. Martin. In 1863, through the munificence of Mrs. Larpent, a church was built at Leusdon, in the parish of Widecombe. It is dedicated to St. John the Baptist, and takes the place of the ancient chapel of St. Leonard, already mentioned. The parish is a very extensive one, and the mother church is situated at some considerable distance from the district which the new church serves. In 1868 and the following year two mission chapels were opened in the heart of the Moor — one (St. Raphael's) at Huccaby, near Dartmeet, and the other (St. Gabriel's) at Post Bridge. This was during the incumbency of Princetown of the Rev. Morris Fuller, rector of Lydford, and the two sermons preached by him in these little sanctuaries, within the octave of their opening, as well as others delivered at Princetown, were issued in 1876, in a volume bearing the appropriate title of " A Voice in the Wilderness." The chapel at Hucoaby was built on the site of some ruined cottages, thatched, it may interest the Dartmoor antiquary to know, with rye straw, and from their construction evidently of great age. The situation was well chosen, being in the centre of several scattered Moor farms. Having regard to the severity of the climate during exceptional winters, the chapel is furnished with a wide hearth, and when necessary a peat fire is kept burning during service. Being used as a day school, such an adjunct was rendered imperative. The chapel at Post Bridge is similar in plan, and is also used as a school. Between Rundle Stone and Merivale Bridge, a mission-room and school have recently been THE CHURCHES OF THE DARTMOOR COUNTRY. 47 erected ; this is in the immediate vicinity of the granite quarries on Walkhampton Common, in the Red Cottages near which Dissenting services used formerly to be held. Quite near to the quarries is a neat chapel of the Wesleyans. The churches of the Dartmoor borderland are nearly all of granite, and the towers, though in some instances rather low, are massive in appearance. Only one possesses a spire — that of Buck- fastleigh — though formerly there was also one at St. Andrew's, Ashburton. Buckfastleigh Church is placed on a hill, and stands alone at some distance from the town, being approached on one side by a steep path and a flight of 195 steps. The style of by far the greater number is Perpendicular, though in many there are remains of earlier work. The registers of some are carried far back, notably those of the churches of South- tawton, North Bovey, and Mary Tavy, the latter dating from 1560. Near some the old church-house yet remains^ and in more than one instance the garden belong- ing to it, the "leek-bed," common to all the parishioners, and which furnished them with "sallets," as an accompaniment to the meal, rendered necessary by the distance from their homes at which many of the worshippers found themselves. At Walkhampton the church-house was until recent years an inn ; at Sheepstor it has been con- verted into a parish-room. Often, too, near the church gate is seen the upping-stock, a convenience appreciated by those who came on horseback ; and at several of the churches are preserved the old village stocks, the terror of the disturbers of the peace. An old custom in connection with funerals at Widecombe is still observed on the Moor. By the side of a green path leading up from Dartmeet are two contiguous blocks of granite known as the Coffin Stone. Upon this the corpse is rested when being carried from the Forest to the church- yard of that parish for burial, while the mourners rest themselves. On the stone are some small incised crosses and initials. Many of the parsons of the old school, in addition to ministering to the spiritual needs of their parishioners, appear to have considered the exercise of some sort of temporal control over them as being within their province. We have heard it related of a former vicar of Peter Tavy, the Rev. Mr. McBean, that he would never commence his morning service until he was satisfied that there was no company in the village inn, those being the days when closing hours were unknown. Accord- ingly, he arranged with his churchwarden, Roger Mudge, that when he had given out the hymn immediately preceding his discourse, that functionary was to go and ascertain whether the public- house was cleared of customers. Now, it so happened that the landlord of the inn, which stands, as all who are acquainted with Peter Tavy will know, adjacent to the churchyard, was a relative of the worthy churchwarden, who had, therefore, a delicate task imposed upon him each Sabbath morn. He could do no other than carry out the parson's instructions, and render him a faithful report, while it was equally certain that he could not be the means of getting his kinsman into trouble by stating the facts, if he should happen to find company in his house. That such would be the case he felt sure, for he knew that there were several among the more thirsty of the parishioners who infinitely preferred the draughts provided by the landlord to drinking at the fount to which the vicar pointed them. But the churchwarden was a resourceful man, and a man of peace, and he straightway hit upon an expedient by which he was able not only to satisfy the parson, but also his relative, and to quiet his own conscience into the bargain. He would walk very slowly towards the inn, looking neither to the right nor to the left, but with his eyes bent on the ground, and, repeating in a tone growing louder as he advanced, "I'm coming, Cousin Tom; I'm coming, Cousin Tom." Arrived at the house he would open the door and enter, and after satisfying himself that the room in which customers were served was empty, which by that time it was, the company having temporarily retired, he would return to the church and report the result of his visit. The sermon would then 48 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. commence, tlie vicar at the same time congratulating himself upon his parishioners shewing such a regard for the hours of Divine worship. Another Moorland parson was in the habit of interesting himself very much in the sports in which many of his congregation were accustomed to indulge, particularly that of wrestling, which he not only supported by his purse, but encouraged by his presence. It was, therefore, a sad blow to some of them when, calling them on one side after service one Sunday morning, he announced that he should be unable to attend the match arranged to take place on the following day. He would continue his subscription as hitherto, he said, as nobody need know that, but it would be better for him not to join them, for — it was scandalous to think of it — but the Dissenters had actually made his last attendance at a match the subject of an article in their magazine. Not that he cared much for that, but there was ; of course, a possibility that it might be talked about, and get to the ears of the Bishop. We have already referred to the thunderstorm at Widecombe which had such fatal results, and by which much damaga was done, but other Moorland churches have also suffered injury from the war of elements. Manaton Church was the scene of a somewhat similar visitation in 1779. At the time of the storm there were serious differences between the rector and the parishioners, and the rector, regarding the damage done to the church as a judgment upon himself, immediately offered to resign ; his speedy death, however, prevented any action being taken. The edifice, which is well proportioned, is dedicated to St. Winnifred ; there is a porch with parviee chamber, and a massive arched granite doorway. The Church-house at Manaton was given by Thomas Southcott in 1597, and was rebuilt in 1818. Shaugh Church was also the scene of a great thunderstorm in the winter of 1823, but though much damage was done to the fabric, there was an absence of any personal injury, the storm occurring on a week-day. Okehampton Church was destroyed by fire in 1842, the present edifice being, therefore, quite modern, with the exception of the tower. It replaces a fifteenth century church, but the original one was built in 1261. In the centre of the town is the ancient Chapel of St. James, with its tower ; it is vested in the Charity Trustees, but until a comparatively recent date belonged to the Corporation. A curious accident happened in 1639, when a building over the west gate of Usington Churchyard, used as a school-house, collapsed. The master, with seventeen scholars wa« within, and though many were much cut and bruised, not one was seriously hurt. An account of the circumstance is entered in the register. In 1646 a party of Royalists who had fled from Cromwell's troopers at Bovey Tracey, took refuge in Usington Church, but quitted it on find- ing they were pursued. Between the years 1865 and 1878 fully one-half of the Moorland churches were restored, while others had received needed repairs before the first-mentioned date. The restoration of Belstone Church and that of Brent Tor has taken place since. Bridestowe Church was restored in 1860, and is the third church that has existed in the parish. In South Zeal, a village in Southtawton parish, not far from the lofty height of Cosdon Beacon, stands the ancient Chapel of St. Mary. This has been well restored, and, with the old cross, forms an interesting object in the straggling village street. During the restoration of South Brent Church portions were discovered of a life-size recum- bent effigy and of a tomb. This was supposed to be the monument of a vicar who was murdered in the church about 1436. The Church of St. Andrew, at Ashburton, has been most carefully restored, but unfortunately much of an interesting nature had been taken from it in former years and destroyed. Of the old Chapel of St Lawrence, in another part of the town, nothing now remains but the tower; the modern building adjoining it is used a& the Grammar Sohool. THE CHURCHES OF THE DARTMOOR COUNTRY. 49 Before their restoration the interiors of most of the churches of the Dartmoor borderland pre- sented a very plain appearance. Carved work and other embellishments were in many places hidden beneath successive coats of whitewash, and early architectural details were spoilt by ugly excres- cences of a more recent date. The spirit in which the work of restoration has been carried out has been mainly on the lines of preserving the older features, though there are not wanting instances in which the ?ame have been sacrificed to modern ideas. The names of not a few worthies of nore than local fame are connected with the Moorland churches. The poet Herrick was for many years vioar of Dean Prior, both before and after the Commonwealth, and died there in 1674. Charles Kingsley was born at Holne, where his father was temporarily residing, and spent his early childhood in the parish, but his boyhood was passed in North Devon. John Prideaux, Bishop of Worcester, in the reign of Charles I. was at one time a candidate for the post of parish clerk of Ugborough, only losing the appointment through being beaten in ''tuning the psalm" in Ugborough Church, by a competitor for the position. William Davy, author of "A System of Divinity," a work consiting of twenty-six octavo volumes of nearly 500 pages each, the whole of which he himself printed in a press of his own con- struction, was curate of the border church of Lustleigh for a great number of years. In 1825, at the age of 83, he was presented to the vicarage of Winkleigh, butdiedafew months after entering upon his duties there. The roll would be an extended one were mention made of all who, once connected with the churches of the Dartmoor country, have attained to eminent positions. Many old-time associations cling to the venerable churches of the parishes encircling the Moor, and though the little fanes in its interior are wanting in these, their isolated situation will not fail to arouse an interest. The message delivered of yore to those who dwelt on the borders is now carried into the heart of the wilderness. With the progress that commenced with the advent of the modern settler on the Moor, and the founding of Princetown, the work of spreading the glad tidings of peace has kept pace. V. — Nineteenth Century Celebrities of the Moor. SIR FRANCIS BULLER-SIR THOMAS TYRWHITT- REV. EDWARD ATKYNS BRAY-REV. JAMES HOLMAN MASON- GEORGE TEMPLER-TOM FRENCH- JONAS COKER- JAMES PERROTT- WILLIAM SHILLIBEER-REV. J. P. JONES-MISS SOPHIE DIXON-MISS KING-SOME ORIGINAL CHARACTERS -REV. CLIFFORD RICKARDS-HIGH BAILIFF OF DARTMOOR. Thine is the region large, the pale renowned, Where worthies dwelt of old, and still abound. -JOSEPH COTTLE. With a district which has been the scene of important operations of a nature outside the ordinary, there will naturally be associated the names of those who were prominently connected with such enterprises. Such men as Sir Francis Buller, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, and Mr. G. W. Fowler are still spoken of on the Moor, as also is the work they attempted or accomplished. These, in addition to their efforts in the direction of agriculture, did much to make Dartmoor known, and to Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt may be attributed the first actual opening up of the great waste. It is also obvious that a region possessing so large a number of prehistoric monuments, and such wild and romantic scenery, as Dartmoor could not fail to attract investigators of the one, and searchers after and admirers of the other. As instances may be named the Rev. E. A. Bray, the Rev. J. H. Mason, the poet Carrington, Miss Sophie Dixon, and the Rev. J. P. Jones. Some among *he number have been so closely iden- tified with the Moor, by residence on or near it, as to win much local renown. Others there are who have attained fame of a humbler character, but who will none the less be remembered by all Dart- moor people. Such are Tom French, well known to the moorland hunters of a former genera- tion ; Jonas Coaker, a native writer of verses ; and James Perrott, of Chagford. The influence exercised by many of them is felt to-day, and will leave a lasting mark upon the history of the Moor. Comparatively unknown until towards the end of the 18th century, Dartmoor at the close of the 19th could not only boast of developments in many directions, but also of having been the home of worthies who did so much to initiate and aid them. Sir Francis Buller, whose farming operations at Prince Hall, as we have seen, were among the earliest of the efforts at cultivation on an extensive scale on the Moor, cannot be counted among its 19th century celebrities, as he died in 1800. At the same time, as a pioneer of that work of which the last hundred years has witnessed the continuation and extension, no account of the latter-day CHAGFORI) CHURCH. .»*-»' « l>()ST BRIDGE. NINETEENTH CENTURY CELEBRITIES OF THE MOOR 53 worthies of Dartmoor would be complete without some mention of him. Sir Francis, who was born at Morval, an ancient seat on an inlet of the Looe River, in Cornwall, attained to great eminence as a Justice of the King's Bench. He married the heiress of the Yardes, a family seated during several generations at the old mansion of Churston Court. His descendant, Sir John Yarde Buller, represented South Devon in Parliament for twenty-four years, and in 1858 was raised to the peerage as Baron Churston. Having bought the estate of Prince Hall, one of the ancient tenements of Dartmoor Forest, Sir Francis found exercise and amusement in devoting his attention to continuing the improve- ments commenced by his predecessor, Mr. Gullet. He enclosed more land, and made important additions to the house. He also erected an inn at Two Bridges, since rebuilt, his crest — a Saracen's Head — being bestowed upon it as a sign. He gathered quite a little colony of workers around him, to whom he was most kind, and ever ready with his advice. The hospitalities of Prince Hall were always open to the stranger, and the house was the constant resort of men experienced in the science of agriculture, from all parts of the country. Certainly no man up to his time had done so much to make Dartmoor known as Sir Francis Buller, and his name will ever be remembered among those who have endeavoured to introduce cultivation into that wild region. The judge passed away in the last year of the 18th century, and was buried in St. Andrew's Churchyard, Gray's Inn. There is a monument to him in the church of Higher Brixham, in Devon, the parish in which is situated Lupton House, the seat of the present Lord Churston, and which was bought by the judge in 1778. But if Sir Francis Buller did much to direct attention to Dartmoor, Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt was the means of doing more. In the conduct of his agricultural operations at Tor Royal, his work in the formation of roads, his advocacy of the building of the war prison, or the projection and construction of the railway, he was indefatigable. Sir Thomas (then Mr. Tyrwhitt ; he was knighted in 1812) commenced his labours on Dartmoor in 1785, when twenty-three years of age, and from that time until far into the 19th century was closely identified with it. He chose a spot on the western confines of the Forest as the scene of his operations, and in the course of a few years had formed fields, commenced planting, and built a house, which he named Tor Royal. In his experiments he spared no expense, and succeeded in growing flax, during an unusually dry summer, on his estate, for which he received a medal from the Bath Agricultural Society. The war prison, commenced in 1806, called Princetown into existence, and when, after the peace of 1815, the former was no longer required, Sir Thomas still continued to watch the interests of the town. He had procured for it the privileges of holding a market and fair, and this caused it still to retain some of its former activity. Later on, it is true, it commenced to decline, and continued for several years in anything but a flourishing condition. But the turn of the tide came with the establishment there of the convict depot in 1850, and the little town which the energies of Sir Thomas were the means of founding entered upon a career which has ever since been one of progress. His efforts in connec- tion with the horse railway, projected by him in 1818, resulted in the speedy construction of the line. A favourable reception having been accorded his plans, he at once set about obtaining subscriber , himself heading the list with £3,000, and soon raised the £27,783, which was the estimated expense of the undertaking under the first Act, passed in July, 1819. Two further Acts were obtained in 1820 and 1821, bringing the total capital up to £39,983, and the first, and major, portion of the road was opened in 182.'!. Thus Sir Thomas in the space of about seventeen years had caused a little town to spring up in the midst of the .Moor, and connected it by a railway with the town and harbour of Plymouth. While his work on Dartmoor was proceeding Sir Thomas was also distinguishing himself in other directions. He was secretary to the Prince of Wales and also Lord Warden of the Stan- F 54 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. naries. He represented Okehampton in Parliament from 1796 until 1802, and was afterwards member for Porta rlington. In 1806 lie was returned by the electors of Plymouth, which borough he represented until 1812, when he was appointed Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. In Prince- town Church is a memorial tablet to this unwearied worker for the welfare of the Moor, the inscrip- tion on which is as follows : — Sir Thomas Tynvhitt, Knt., late of Tor Royal, Lord Warden of the Stannaries, and many years Usher of the Black Rod. Died Feb. 24-th, 1833, aged 71. His L«me and memory are inseparable from all the great works on Dartmoor, and cannot cease to be honoured in this district. Earliest among the explorers of Dartmoor, the Rev. Edward Atkyns Bray has placed all who are interested in its history and antiquities under a debt of gratitude. Though his investigations extended only over a comparatively small portion of the district, extracts from his journal, which go back to 1801, afford us valuable information regarding many objects on the Moor, and of their condition at the commencement of the 19th century. Since the publication of the maps of the last Ordnance survey, on which almost every object of importance is shown, it has become a simple matter to acquaint oneself with the exact position of all the principal groups of rude stone remains on the Moor, and to find the way to them with little difficulty. But Mr. Bray possessed no such advantage. A few of the more remarkable objects, it is true, were known long before his time, some being mentioned by Risdon nearly two centuries before, but, with the exception of those described by Polwhele, not many had been examined. Mr. Bray conducted his investigations with an intelligent object, and while his deductions are now considered to be erroneous, his facts have lost none of their value. In common with other antiquaries of his time, his speculations as to the use and intention of the pre-historic monuments were founded on the theory that they were "Druidical." Consequently, such things as logans and rock-basins, for the disposition and formation of which Nature's hand was alone responsible, were supposed by him to have been fashioned and used by the members of that shadowy priesthood. But if his ideas are now thought to be wrong, it is not improbable that many of our present-day speculations as to the meaning and uses of the old stone remains will by future generations be similarly regard:d. Mr. Bray was born in 1778, in the Abbey House, Tavistock, his father being a solicitor, and for many years employed in the management of the West of England estates of the Duke of Bedford. Mr. Bray was entered as a student at the Middle Temple in 1801, and five years later he was called to the Bar. During this period, when on visits to his native town, he continued his Dartmoor investigations, as the published extracts from his journal show. For five years he went the "Western Circuit, and though he obtained some reputation, he had no liking for his profession. His inclinations were always turned to the Church, and he at length resolved to quit the Bar and to enter St. He was ordained by the Bishop of Norwich in 1811, and subsequently proceeded to Tavistock on a visit to his parents. A few weeks after his arrival the Vicar of Tavistock, the Rev. Richard Sleeman ; died, and application having been made to the Duke of Bedford, his Grace named Mr. Bray to the vacant preferment, and there he continued his ministry until his death in 1857. Mr. Bray married the widow of Mr. Stothard, son of the famous artist. As an authoress she was well known, and it is in the pages of her interesting book on the " Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy " that the extracts from Mr. Bray's journal appear. He wrote a great number of poems, as well as works of a religious character, and also published several sermons. His poetical works were issued in two volumes in 1859, with a memoir by his widcw. Mr. Bray spent much of his time on Dartmoor when settled at Tavistock, having inherited from his father the farm enclosed and formed by the latter at Bair Down. He continued his excursions originally commenced when he had in view the writing of a history of his native town. But though NINETEENTH CENTURY CELEBRITIES OF THE MOOR. 55 his plans in that direction were never carried out, he has left behind him that which all who are interested in what Mrs. Bray termed her husband's "favourite Dartmoor" will always deem of no little value. "While Mr. Bray was well known on the western edge of Dartmoor, his contemporary, the Rev. James Holman Mason, M.A., was a no less familiar figure on the eastern side. Becoming the vicar of Widecombe-in-the-Moor some four years after the Rev. E. A. Bray entered on his labours at Tavistock, he survived the latter only about three years Mr. Mason, who was chaplain to the Prince Regent and vicar of Treneglos and Warbstow, in Cornwall, was, on the occurrence of the vacancy created by the death of the Rev. John Rendle in 1815, instituted to the vicarage of Wide- combe, on the presentation of the Dean and Chapter of Exeter. In October of the following year Mr. Mason was appointed one of the deputy riders and master foresters of Dartmoor, on the decease of Mr. Edward Bray, the Rev. E. A. Bray's father. From this time he began to take a strong interest in all matters pertaining to the Moor, acquainting himself with its topography, history, and traditions. He has been described as a cautious and practical antiquary, and though he himself made no contributions to Dartmoor litera- ture, the results of his investigations are reflected in the writings of others, to whom he was always ready to impart information. His conclusions are certainly far more sound than those arrived at by some who have undertaken the examination of stone remains on the Moor. Mr. Mason was one of the old-fashioned school of parsons, and famous, among other things, for his hospitality and the excellence of his port. About 1842 a reading party from Oxford were staying at Brimpts, on Dartmoor, and during their visit attended Widecombe Church. Having been invited to dine with Mr. Mason, the conversation over their wine took a turn which called forth a remark by one of the party to the effect that he thought it a good thing the rotten boroughs were done away with. Mr. Mason instantly resented this. "What, sir," he said indignantly, " you tell me that ! — me, who was brought up by Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the con- fidential friend and favourite of George the Fourth, and who was member for " Such views were dangerous in the eyes of this Moorland parson. However, the matter was allowed to drop, but the visitor could not refrain from thinking that his host always afterwards regarded him as a rather suspicious character. Mr. Mason was the holder of about 600 acres of land in the Forest. He formed enclosures, and built a cottage, the ruins of which are still to be seen, close to the road below Crockern Tor. Besides being vicar of Widecombe, he was also the first incumbent of Princetown, and is well remembered on the Moor by some of the older inhabitants. He died at Widecombe in 1860, but was not laid to rest in the valley where he had dwelt so long. But he lies in the Dartmoor country, nevertheless, having been buried at Okehampton. Occupying a high niche in the valhalla of Dartmoor worthies, the accomplished George Templer, of Stover, commands our admiration. None associated with the district were ever more beloved than was he, and none have left behind them a greater or a purer fame. Not only for his enterprise in carrying the railway to the rock-piles of Hey Tor, in the early years of the century, and thus earning for himself the distinction of constructing the first line in Devonshire ; nor for his skill as a Master of hounds and daring as a rider on the Moor, will he be remembered, but also for the higher qualities of sincerity of friendship, and kindliness of heart. His amiability and benevolence of disposition, enlivened by a sparkling wit, made him the charm of society, while his thought for those in a humble station caused him to be regarded as the poor man's friend. George Templer might have justly aspired to the highest of positions. He was a poet of no mean order. His lines on "The Grave of Skylark,'' a favourite huntress, and his stanzas in memory of his friends Taylor and Russell alone entitle him to rank high among the sons of song in Devon. 56 A HUNDRED YEARS "ON DARTMOOR. The beautiful lady of Stover was not less beloved than her husband. The love story of George Templer is not wanting in the romantic. Passing through Highweek, when returning from hunt- ing, leading his horse by the rein, he heard, when nearing Greenhiil Farmhouse, a maiden singing a love song from the opera of "The Duenna." It was one he knew well, having sung it himself not- long before in the part of Don Carlos, at some amateur theatricals at Stover, and he listened, charmed at the sweetness of the voice. "When he reached the gate of the farm it was a case of love at first sight, and m a few weeks it was known that the young squire of Stover was engaged to the beautiful Miss Wreyford. As his wife she adorned the stately home to which he brought her, and the union was a most happy one. Private theatricals were frequently indulged in at Stover, in which the mem- bers of the family and some of the more intelligent of the servants took part. Mrs. Siddons and Mr. Kemble, while on a visit there, witnessed the performance of "Richard III." and "King Lear," and highly praised the representations. The venture of George Templer on Dartmoor did not prove remunerative. It might have done so perhaps (for the stone quarried at Hey Tor was of excellent quality) had the management of the undertaking not been left too much to others. The price he had to pay for the short- comings of those in whom he trusted was a high one. The beautiful domain of Stover that he loved so well he had to dispose of, the purchaser being the Duke of Somerset. The oldest Dartmoor family now existing is that of French, holders of land in the Forest of that name being recorded since the time of Edward III. One member of this ancient family was particularly well known throughout the Moor during the first half of the 19th century as a keen and ardent sportsman. This was Tom French, who was born on Dartmoor aboui; 1774, and during the earlier years of his life was in domestic service, after- wards settling at Widecombe. Passionately fond of the chase, he knew almost every holt in the southern part of the Moorlands where a fox could harbour, and many followers of the hounds were indebted to him for a good day's sport. He was also a capital fisherman, throwing a fly with a fine and delicate hand, although he had lost his right thumb through the bursting of a gun. Even after having passed the allotted threescore years and ten, he was strong and active, and could cross the rivers by bounding from stone to stone in a manner which even younger men were unable to imitate. Tom was capital company, telling a story with ready wit and genuine humour. He was a great favourite with the gentlemen of the hunt, and about Christmas time would usually leave the hills of Dartmoor and spend a week or two with them at their homes. He used to say that after these visits his waistcoat fitted him very much better than before. But though he enjoyed the change and the good cheer, he would not remain away long from his native heath, and so great was his love for it that he said he would "rather live in the hollow rocks of Blacky Tor than in the finest hou«e in Plymouth." He died at the good old age of 84, and though he was unknown to the present generation, there are still many on the Moor who remember him well, and not one but has a good word for honest Tom French. By far the most striking figure among those in the humbler walks of life who lived during the 19th century on Dartmoor is Jonas Coaker, well-known in the district as a verse writer. Although his effusions are far below the level of true poetry, they are by no means deficient in merit, and, considering the disadvantages under which he laboured, do him infinite credit. There is sufficient in them to shew that had the circumstances of his early life been more favourable he would, in all probability, have accomplished greater things. Genius was not wanting, but it was held in bondage, and the key that alone could free it was never placed within his reach. He was a man of fine physique, and in manner was quiet and rather reserved. It was impossible to con- NINETEENTH CENTURY CELEBRITIES OF THE MOOR. 67 verse with him long without discovering that he possessed knowledge and abilities not usually found among those in his station. By the peasantry of the Moor Jonas Coaker was held in great esteem, for they seemed to feel that, though but one of themselves, his talents raised him above their level. They were proud of him and of the reputation he had gained, and delighted in speaking of him as the Dartmoor Poet. Much of his verse was composed after he had retired to rest and committed to memory, to be written down at the first convenient opportunity. His themes were chiefly descriptive of the Moor and events which have happened on it, and lie also wrote a series of poems on religious subjects. Jonas Coaker was born at Hartland, a farm near Post Bridge, in the east quarter of the Forest, on February 23rd, 1801. As a lad he was in the service of the Rev. John Rendle, vicar of Wide- combe, and on the death of the latter went to work on a farm in that parish. "When about twenty- five years of age he returned to Post Bridge and worked as a labourer, taking particular delight in the building of new-take walls. Afterwards he became the landlord of the inn at New House, on the eastern verge of the Forest, and later on rate collector for the parish of Lydford. His closing years were passed at Ring Hill veiy near the hou^e in which he was born. He passed away on February 12th, 1890, and was laid to rest in the quiet churchyard of Widecombe. None among the worthies of the Moor was better known to visitors to the district than James Perrott, of Chagford, who for more than fifty years acted as guide to the tourist over its wild hills. He was born at Coombe, in the parish of Throwleigh, on the north-eastern border of Dartmoor, in March, 1815, but early removed to Chagford, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was of ancient lineage, being a descendant of the Perrot, according to Edward Lowry Barnwell, in his " Notes on the Perrot Family," who came in with the Conqueror. His maternal descent was from Sir Robert Jason, whose coat-of-arms, dated 1588, used to hang in his room. Rugged, frank, and of cheery disposition, his sterling worth caused him to be respected by those who made his acquaintance. His knowledge of the Moor rendered his conversation exceedingly interesting to those who found pleasure in that topic — and who that visits Chagford does not ? The archaeologist, the searcher after the picturesque, and the angler have each been indebted to him ; there was not a tor or hill in the northern part of the Moor to which he could not conduct them, nor a stream in his neighbourhood in which he knew not the pools and the stickles most likely to afford sport. A deft fisherman himself, and entering keenly into the pleasures of the gentle art, he was always desirous that those who accompanied him should realise the delight of returning with a well-filled creel. Mr. Perrott was acquainted with many persons whose names are associated with Dartmoor. He rendered some assistance to the Rev. Samuel Rowe when that writer was engaged in the prepara- tion of his "Perambulation," and he was very intimate with Charles Kingsley, having frequently rambled over the Moor with him. Mr. R. D. Blackinore has introduced him in fiction, and lie is mentioned in Mr. F. B. Doveton's " Fisherman's Fancies." In his part of guide he was brought into contact with noted peers, artists, journalists, and scientific men, many of whom no doubt entertain pleasant recollections of him. Indeed, it would be difficult to find anyone with a knowledge of Dartmoor who has not known or heard of "Old Perrott," as he was familiarly termed. We have heard him spoken of three thousand miles from Dartmoor, and the memories his name recalled, it was evident to us, were among those most cherished. Mr. Perrott was married at Chagford on the 16th October, 1839. The golden wedding was celebrated in October, 1889. A congratulatory address from the townspeople was presented to Mr. and Mrs. Perrott, and letter- and telegrams were received from all part-. But the old Dartmoor wanderer's work was nearly done. He died in May, 1895, leaving daughters and eons, 58 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. so that there is still a " Perrott " to guide the visitor to the Moor. In Chagford Churchyard is a beautiful polished granite tomb, erected to the memory of this Dartmoor worthy by the Rev. A. G. Barker, of St. Olaves, Murchington. "We have thus briefly noticed the principal among the dwellers in the Dartmoor country whose work upon it will always connect them with its 19th century history. But there are others whom it is also necessary to mention. Among those well known on Dartmoor some eighty years ago was Mr. William Shillibeer, of Walkhampton, who possessed a wide knowledge of the district, and who made the survey for Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt's railway. One who also did good service about the same time was the Rev. J. P. Jones, of North Bovey, part author of the " Flora Devoniensis." Another has but recently passed away — Mr. John Bennett, of Acherton, who was long resident on the Moor. He was 17 years old at the death of George III., and had some recollections of events which took place in those days. For sometime Dartmoor was the home of Miss Sophie Dixon, the charming writer, and her acquaintance with it was extensive. She was in the habit of taking long rambles, setting forth at an early hour, and covering as much ground in a day as many would do in three. Sometimes when on a pedestrian tour she would rise at midnight, and start on her journey soon after, in order to avoid walking under a burning summer sun. Miss King, some time of Widecombe, niece of the gifted R. J. King, was known to all the Dartmoor people, two decades since, as a constant moorland rambler. At an advanced age it was her practice to set forth alone, visiting the more remote parts of the moorlands, and extending her wanderings as she thought fit, without regard to the hour. She loved the Moor, and its solitary combes were to her as home. Nor should mention be omitted of such well-known and original characters as Teignhead George and Will Mann, of Hexworthy ; of old "Uncle" George Caunter, and Daniel and Joey Leaman, of Dartmeet ; of the Moormen Dick Eden, Samuel Smith, of Hexworthy, and John Edmonds, of South Brent. Eden was born at Fox Tor Farm, but later in life dwelt in a little cottage at Hexworthy, that stood in the centre of a small plot of ground which he cultivated. We have heard him say that he supposed he ought to consider himself a very happy man, seeing that he dwelt "in the Garden of Eden." Nor must be overlooked John Bishop, of Swincombe, whose manner of building new-take walls was a new departure, as witness the piece of work between Prince Hall Lodge and the corner above Two Bridges ; nor old Sally Satterly, whose feats of walking, with the weight of years upon her, would astonish most young women of the present day. Some few of these are still upon the Moor, and some have passed away, but their memories are yet green. It would not be fitting did we leave unnoticed one whose long connection with the prison service at Princetown, and unceasing labour in his vocation, render him prominent among those who have made the Moor their abiding-place. For twenty-three years the Rev. Clifford Rickards filled the position of chaplain at the convict prison. His recent retirement was regretted not only by the staff, but also by most of the unfortunate prisoners. One more — and he is mentioned last as being the sole survivor of the older Dartmoor worthies — and our list is ended. We speak of Mr. Charles Barrington, of Tor Royal, for long years con- nected with the Duchy of Cornwall Office as High Bailiff of Dartmoor. Urbane and kind of heart, he is the type of a true English gentleman, and his name will long be cherished by the Forest tenants, and, indeed, by all to whom he is known. The house in which Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, the earliest among the worthies of Dartmoor, dwelt when the 19th century dawned, was fittingly the home of its latest celebritv at its close. VI. — The Dartmoor Peasant : As He Was and As He Is. THE CHANGE OF A CENTURY-THE GUBBINS-THE PEASANT, HIS COTTAGE, HIS WAGES, AND HIS CHILDREN-FARM-WORK INCIDENTS-LONGEVITY-WRESTLING-CUDGELLING— SUNDAY REVELS- SKITTLES-SUPERSTITIONS-MORALS-CRIMES-PRESENT CONDITIONS- PEASANT SPEECH. His life may be hard, but be works like a man From morning till night, and does what he can For his wife and his children, he's happy, though poor, For freedom he breathes with the air of the moor. Whenever he goes to the feast or the fair, He makes up his mind to enjoy himself there, But when all the fiddling and dancing is o'er He'll be " datchin' " or else " outtin' turve " 'pon the moor. A DARTMOOR MAN. The change which took place during the 19th century in the condition of the small farmer and labourer in the agricultural districts of Devon was also witnessed in the hill country of Dartmoor, though in a lesser degree. Much of the former order of things, as regards habits and customs still exists on the Moor, as is to be expected in a region so remote, and where such is not antagonistic to progress the lover of old-time observances will rejoice that an asylum has been afforded them. But the state of the dwellers in that upland district is not as it was. The opening up of com- munications with towns has had its effect; the peasant's horizon is no longer the range of tors that environ him ; his thoughts are directed far beyond, and new hopes and new aspirations are created. Whether this change in his condition has been entirely to his advantage is a question on which some may differ. That it has been so in numerous ways none will seek to deny. He may have lost something ; we cannot tell. It is impossible to decide whether we are any happier now than people were in the days of stage coaches. It is doubtful whether the character of the farming population of Dartmoor was ever so rude as has been imagined. While much ignorance and superstition formerly prevailed, and the dwell- ings and the mode of living were somewhat primitive, there is nothing to lead us to suppose, as sometimes suggested, that families dwelt on the Moor in a state little better than that of savages. Certain instances of squatters living in a semi-barbarous condition have possibly been observed, but that the inhabitants in general did so does not appear to be true. Judging from the evidence given in various suits brought for tithe of agistment on the commons during the 17th and 18th 60 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR, centuries, the Moor farmers were not wanting in intelligence any more than are their brethren of to-day. The Gubbins described by Fuller, whose account it has been considered was written about 1644-1647, were certainly an uncouth and savage tribe. But though dwelling on the edge of the Moor, near Brent Tor, they are not to be classed with the true Dartmoor native, nor, indeed, does Fuller speak of them in that connection. They are mentioned as being a band of depredators, which for some two hundred years lived by stealing sheep on the Moor. But even in Fuller's time their manners seem to have been mending, for he says, "I am informed that they begin to be civilised, and tender their children to baptism; and return to be men, yea Christians again." The evil reputation gained by these marauders might later on have become associated in the public mind with those who dwelt peaceably on Dartmoor, and whose seclusion would render their true character comparatively unknown. But there are certainly no facts that would warrant our supposing that the natives of the moorlands lived in a condition at all approaching the savagery of that lawless tribe. At the commencement of the 19th century the lot of the Dartmoor peasant was a hard one, though he did not lack some compensating advantages. Whether living in the interior of the waste, or on the border farms, he enjoyed a freedom that was unknown to his brother in the "in- country." His employers being for the most part small farmers, and in a very humble station, treated him much as an equal, sharing the labour, and joining with him in his recreation. His cottage was a very rude erection, but for the matter of that so was his master's house, which was frequently shared with the cattle. But the cot afforded good shelter ; the thick walls, constructed of rough granite blocks, and the roof of thatch, were a sufficient protection from the weather, while a peat fire ensured the necesary warmth. Of the latter fuel there was always a plentiful supply, any quantity being obtainable for the trouble of cutting it. It was usually brought for them from the ties, or pits, by the farmers' horses, a service which was paid for by the labourers cutting a few loads of it for their owners. A certain number of slabs of peat constituted a load for a pack-horse, and this was termed a seam. Rushes with which to repair his roof of thatch, and ferns to serve as a litter for his pig, when he had one, were to be obtained in abundance, and a small patch which he cultivated, enabled the Dartmoor peasant to supply his family with potatoes. The furniture usually found in the labourer's cottage was scanty, and of the rudest descrip- tion, and domestic comforts seem to have been entirely unknown. Ignorance of things in general went a long way towards preventing discontent, and so that there was a sufficiency of food, however coarse it might be, and shelter and warmth at the close of the day's work, little else was apparently desired. The peasant found himself placed in certain circumstances, and he accepted them as a matter of course, mere was none to suggest to him the possibility of improving his condition, much less to point out the way, or help him to do so. He did his duty towards those for whom he worked, earning his crust by the sweat of his brow, and toiling year after year without a murmur. The wages paid to the labourer a hundred years ago were small ; so small that they enabled him to obtain only the barest necessaries of life. Seven shillings a week was the usual rate of pay, though sometimes it was not more than six. In certain districts this was supplemented by an allowance of cider, and also by the privilege of buying wheat or barley at a reduced rate, but in the more remote parts the miserable pittance had to suffice. This, however, was occasionally augmented by the earnings of the wife, for women were em- ployed not only in the housework at the farms, but also in field labour. Some of the latter was, indeed, of a most toilsome character. We know of more than one new-take wall existing on the Moor the builders of which were women. A \ VR issr JUBILEE CROSS AT HEXWORTHY k\ OLD CLAPPER BRIDGE, DARTMEET. THE DARTMOOR PEASANT: AS HE WAS AND AS HE IS. 63 Sally Satterley, a Dartmoor dame to whom we have more than once referred, was during the greater part of her life engaged in work usually performed by men. She was for some time employed in the mine at Eylesbarrow, drove pack-horses, could cut peat, was able to mow with a scythe, and, as the father of the present Mr. Aaron Rowe, of the Duchy Hotel, Princetown, used to say, could nail a shoe to a horse's hoof as well as a blacksmith. She was probably the last of her kind. The children were also put to work when very young, and when bound as apprentices often commenced their term at seven years of age. Both boys and girls had to use the mattock and the shovel, being employed upon duties altogether at variance with those the latter should have been taught. Their apprenticeship continued until they were 21 years old, their sole remuneration being their board, lodging, and clothes. Later on the labourer's wages rose to eighteenpence a day, and at that figure they remained for a great unmber of years. There was a recognised rule that no man should want for employment. Each farmer was bound by it to give a day's work to any labourer belonging to the parish who might apply to him for such. Stories are still related of various subterfuges of some of the farmers to evade this rule, though, to their credit be it said, such were very infrequent. In the Forest the farmwork differed in some particulars from that of the Moorland borders. The rearing of cattle formed the chief occupation in the former, agricultural operations being conducted only on a limited scale. On the confines of the Moor it was different. The climate of the sheltered valleys being to some extent favourable to the growth of corn, crops were more generally raised. The reaping and harvesting of the wheat was looked upon by the peasant as a kind of holiday. True, he had to work hard enough, and received no pay at such times, but the labour was accompanied by a great amount of feasting. It was the custom, when the wheat was ready for the sickle, for the farmer to give notice that a reaping would take place on such a day. At the time appointed the labouring men and women of the neighbourhood would assemble in the field, and after a substantial breakfast work was commenced. There was an unlimited supply of cider, a good dinner served in the field, further refreshments later on, and a supper in the house at the close of the day. Possibly in some cases the practice led to a little more drinking than was wise, but there is no doubt that these harvest feasts were thoroughly enjoyed by those who took part in them, and formed red-letter days in the peasant's uneventful life. There was also a further reward for those who gave their services at harvest time. When Christmas arrived they would be asked to a merry-making at the farmer's house, and thus, poor as he was, the labourer did not want for good cheer during the festive season. Notwithstanding that his usual food consisted of nothing better than barley bread and potatoes, with broth and bacon, and such vegetables as leeks and onions, the Dartmoor peasant was famed for his strength and hardihood, and excelled in various athletic exercises. He was subject to few complaints, and was generally long-lived. In 1805 there were eleven deaths in the parish of Bridestowe, of which three were of infants, three were of persons between the ages of sixty and seventy, three between seventy and eighty, and two between eighty and ninety. At Moretonhampstead in the same year there were twenty-seven deaths ; eight were of infants, twelve of persons between the ages of sixty rnd eighty, and seven were of persons over eighty. In 1809 there lived in a cottage at the foot of Brent Tor an old woman named Sarah, or Elizabeth, Williams, who was then 109 years of age ; she had never lived further away from the tor than the next parish. Innumerable instances of longevity among the peasantry might be given, such being rather the rule than the exception. The exercise of wrestling was greatly in favour with the peasantry of Dartmoor, as, indeed, G 64 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. it was with those in other parts of the county. The Moormen are said to have been celebrated as players, their hardiness enabling them to bear excessive kicking upon their shins. This rough element was permitted so long as the kick was not given above the knee. The excellent habit of body of the Dartmoor men soon carried off the ill-effects which might be expected to result from such violent play. Cudgelling, a form of single-stick, was another "pastime" of the Moorman. Here the object to be attained by the player was the breaking of his opponent's head, the success of his praiseworthy efforts receiving the marked approval of the onlookers. These very elevating exercises are seldom indulged in now. Indeed, cudgelling may be said to have entirely disappeared, but a wrestling contest is occasionally heard of, though it is some years since any properly-organised play took place in the Dartmoor country. The day following Two Bridges Fair used always to be devoted to the sport, and it was at one time frequently to be witnessed on Whitchurch Down. The village revels were the occasions of the Dartmoor peasant's principal holidays. They were not quite in the nature of pleasure fairs such a s were held in country towns, but were simply what their title denoted — meetings for revelry. They have been referred to some- times as " Sunday Revels," but this is not entirely correct. They commenced in some of the parishes on the afternoon of the Sabbath, but the actual sports took place on the following day. Still, there was a great amount of drinking on the Sunday, and much noise and excitement, and the standings for the sale of buns, sweetmeats, and fruit, being erected, gave the village a thorough holiday appearance. The hats which were to constitute the prizes for the wrestlers on the Monday were worn, decorated with ribbons, so that all might see them, their wearers not infre- quently appearing at church in the morning. The landlady of the village inn might also sometimes be seen in a gaily-decked cap, which was to become the property of the young woman who should be adjudged the most expert dancer. The gathering commenced with being convivial, and continued in that condition until a very late hour, when an adjournment took place until the following afternoon. Then the sports commenced in earnest, and sometimes did not conclude until the Tuesday. These consisted of wrestling, foot- racing, skittles (or keel-playing, as such is provinciallv termed), and other games. Skittles were occasionally played by the women, the prize being a new "gown-piece." In the evening, the services of a fiddler were brought into requisition, and the dancing contests took place, together with various other amusements. Much that the Dartmoor peasant now regards with scepticism was not so very long since most implicitly believed in by him. But though the hold which superstition has upon him is gradually getting less firm, it has by no means entirely relinquished its grasp. He will still talk about "wisht- ness," by which he means a supernatural appearance, and though usually confessing that he himself has never encountered such, can hardly be persuaded that what he has heard about others having done so is not true. He is generally ready with some story confirmatory of his belief, and cannot but think that if those who have gone before him were convinced of the truth of such things that they must have had good reason for being so. In most of the border villages a dame's school, or that of a rustic pedagogue, might be found, and some of the children, more favoured than others, were taught to read, and perhaps to write. But this was by no means general, while those whose homes were at all remote never received any instruction whatever. And not only did they suffer from the want of education, but from lack of training as well. It is probable that children who were bound as apprentices were fairly well looked after — much better than they could have been at home — and boys so brought up made the best of servants. But with the girls the case was somewhat different. Being employed almost exclusively upon farm work, THE DARTMOOR PEASANT: AS HE WAS AND AS HE IS. G5 they grew up deficient in the knowledge of domestic duties, and as a consequence, when they married, there was an absence of comfort in their homes. It is scarcely a matter for wonder, when we remember their ignorance, their poverty, and that anything of an elevating character in their surroundings was totally wanting, that there should be a laxity of morals among the peasantry. Yet it is not unlikely that the people of the Moorlands compared favourably with the labouring population of other rural districts. By far the greater number of the dwellings of the former were detached and in remote situations, instead of being, as was oftener the case with the latter, crowded together in villages. The morals of the Moor people were thus less likely to be corrupted, although it is certain their standard was by no means a high one. As in every community there are those who resist evil impulses, as well as those who are too weak to do so, so we find that among many of the peasants of the Dartmoor country who were upright and good, there were also not a few who were addicted to dishonest practices. Sheep-stealing wis carried on to a considerable extent, and it is stated on good authority that it was no uncommon thing early in the 19th century for a farmer in the neighbourhood of Dartmoor to lose as many as twenty sheep in a season. While it would be manifestly unfair to suggest that the Moor peasant was alone responsible for these enormities, it is certain that he was not altogether guiltless. The difficulty of providing himself even with the necessaries of life may have driven him to commit these offences, and we must not be too hasty in condemning where so much poverty and ignorance prevailed. Let us rather remember that if his moral vision was so dim as to permit him to see little harm in thus helping himself from the farmers' fiojks, it was in a great measure to be attributed to the darkness of his mind and to his circumstances. And what is the condition of the Dartmoor peasant to-day? The opening up of the wild country in which he dwells has brought him under the influence of new forces, and this has not been wanting in effect. Although some degree of ignorance still prevails, especially among the older men, there are also those who take an intelligent interest in what is going on around them, and, speaking generally, there is much mental enlargement. Not infrequently it will be found that they possess natural abilities which their appearance does not always indicate. Hospitable and kind, they are ever ready to assist or oblige the stranger, though their outspoken manner sometimes conveys a different impression. This arises from a spirit of sturdy independence, which is innate, and was never crushed by their former poverty. They are possessed of a shrewdness which sometimes approaches cunning, and are good hands at driving a bargain. Their expression gives an idea of slyness, but it is rather born of watchfulness ; tJiey are very apt to suspect that there is an endeavour to overmatch them, and thus are constantly on their guard. But let him once see that you are his friend, and there is nothing the Moorland peasant would not do for you. He is honest and industrious, though by no means a slave to work, for, like his forefathers, he fully believes in the wisdom of taking an occasional holiday. He has a quiet humour, and his manner of relating a circumstance is often very quaint. Indeed, he is frequently unconsciously humorous. Wo remember being once gravely informed by a Moorman, who had offered us the loan of his horse, in order that we might ride from the Forest into the market town, that we need give ourselves no concern about the homeward journey, for that he could warrant the animal would "carry beer." That he knew most of the houses at which his master was in the habit of obtaining that beverage we certainly found to be the case, for on approaching a roadside inn at a smart trot we were very nearly thrown by the animal darting suddenly to the doorway, and coming to a dead stop. 66 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR, His home on the Moor is still often primitive in character, but in the border villages a great improvement in this direction has taken place. But with better wages and a wife more fitted to manage his little household than the helpmeet of former days he finds himself in the possession of comforts which to the peasant of fifty or sixty years ago were unknown. His children, no longer apprenticed by the overseers of the poor, continue in his care until such tune as they leave school, and then obtain what work they can. In a year or two it is more than likely they will turn their thoughts towards the town, and by-and-bye leave the old home to go to swell the throngs that toil in the factory and the workshop. If they do not do this they learn a trade in the village or follow their father's calling, and, if earning less, reap their reward in spend- ing their lives amid the breezy slopes and rugged hills of the Moor. In common with all those born in a mountainous district, the Dartmoor peasant loves his native hills, but at the same time he lacks a full appreciation of their beauties. This was, perhaps, never better exemplified than in the story of the tourist who chanced to call at a cottage on the Moor. Delighted with the view, he gave it as his opinion that nothing could be finer, and said he pre- sumed the inmates were never tired of admiring it. He was met by the reply : " Ees, I knaw 'tis brave an' fine, but I'd zooner zee a good fat gooze 'pon the table." But the peasant is proud of the Moor, notwithstanding his apathy towards the charms of its scenery, and does not wonder that the stranger should visit it and be interested. The speech of the peasant of the Moor country is broad in the extreme, but there is a soft intona- tion of the voice which rather attracts. It certainly cannot resemble that of the Gubbins', before re- ferred to, for their speech, Fuller informs us, was the dross of the dregs of the vulgar Devonian. Many curious words, it is true, are used by the older people, but whatever may have been the case formerly, there is no difficulty in understanding their speech now. Writers who give examples of the dialect show a tendency to exaggerate. They seem to imagine that it is necessary to spell every word incorrectly. This, of course, makes it appear like a strange language, and gives alto- gether a false idea. It should be remembered that the Devonshire farm labourers are not the only class of people who pronounce words in a manner for which the dictionary affords no authority. The hand that has been stretched out to this son of the wilderness, this descendant of its ancient inhabitants, to raise him from his former state, has wrought a double service. It has not only ameliorated the peasant's condition, but has brought to light sterling qualities which too long had been hidden. And he has welcomed it with gladness, for it has led him from darkness into the dawn. VII. — Commoners' Rights on the Moor. ANCIENT RIGHTS -DIS AFFORESTATION OF DEVON-THE 13th CENTURY DARTMOOR-THE "FOREST "-THE COMMONERS' COUNTRY- VENVILLE RIGHTS-" FOREIGNERS "— PASTURAGE RIGHTS -MODERN CONDITIONS- CATTLE, PONIES, AND SHEEP-" DRIFTS "- A RELIC-ENCROACHMENTS -CHECKS -A NEW DANGER. Rishes vur datchin', turve to burn. An' stone vur wals zo strong, Plenty o' kaip vur bullocks and sliaip To tbe Dartmoor man belong. An' us'll maintain our an-cient rights, Ole customs shan't be broke, An' us wan't tich, vur there is'n zich, The ven'son and green oak. —DARTMOOR COMMONERS' SONG. While Dartmoor, with its varied attractions, appeals to the minds of those who love Nature in hor ruder forms, or who find a pleasure in the study of the past, and has much to awaken the interest of all, it is of special value to the men of Devon. They have a heritage in it which has come down to them through long years, and which it behoves them to jealously guard. Their rights upon it are important, and though the 19th century wrought some changes on the great uplands, and there have been encroachments on the area over which these rights extend, the exercise of them still continues, and has not ceased, as documentary evidence proves, since the times of the Norman Kings. Before glancing at the nature of these rights it is desirable that we should clearly understand what tract of country the term Dartmoor now comprehends. Nearly seven hundred years have passed since the document was written in which occurs the earliest mention of it by name — the Charter of 1204, by which King John disafforested all Devon, with the exception of Dartmoor and Exmoor, the whole of the county, it is thus seen, previous to that date having been a Forest. What is now known as such is the central portion of the Moor, covering considerably more than 50,000 acres, and being within the parish of Lydf ord ; this has formed part of the possessions of the Duchy of Cornwall since the time of the Clack Prince. The earliest record of the bounds of the Forest is in the return of a Perambulation made in 1240 by the Sheriff of Devon and twelve knights of the county by command of Richard, Earl of 6& A HUNDRED YEARS OX DARTMOOR, Cornwall, on his taking possession of it under grant from his brother, Henry III. The boundary line as then set forth, and which was marked principally by natural objects, probably differs but slightly from that now recognised by the Duchy authorities. The term "Forest" does not necessarily ; mply a thickly-wooded tract of country; it has been defined as a circuit of ground in which wild animals and fowls of forest, chase, and warren were protected by the King, for his diversion and pleasure, and was subject to the forest laws. As none but the King can hold a forest, unless by special warrant, Dartmoor when bestowed upon the Earl of Cornwall became a chase; but though no longer a forest in law, the tract so granted is still popularly regarded as such, and is always so called. Abutting upon the Forest, and precisely similar to it in character, are extensive com- mons, forming parts of the border parishes. They are twenty-two in number, and contiguous with these are eleven others that do not touch the Forest boundary. Many of them pertain to what are termed Venville parishes, and this broad belt of Moorland, completely encircling the Forest, was formerly knovvn as the Commons of Devonshire. Most of the commons, or moors, bear the name of the parish within the bounds of which they lie. Thus we have Walkhampton Common, Belstone Common, Home Moor, Dean Moor, Harford Moor, and so on. On the fringe of this borderland there are, in places, smaller commons belonging to various manors. As we have already seen, no less than parts of thirty-three parishes (thirty-four, if we reckon the few acres formerly belonging to Lamerton, but within recent years included in Brent Tor) go to make up what we at present call Dartmoor, for that name is now popularly bestowed upon the Forest and commons alike. But the dwellers on the Moor, and on its immediate borders, do not generally regard the whole Moorland district as coming under that title ; at least, the older ones do not. With them each surrounding common, or moor, is what its name proclaims it to be, and they do not consider they are on Dartmoor unless they are within the Forest, though it must be confessed they are not infrequently rather hazy about boundaries. And their ideas are, strictly speaking, correct ; for while there appears to be some evidence that Dartmoor once included the Commons of Devonshire, they were certainly thrown out of its bounds as early as 1240, as the Perambulation return of that date shows, and all records since that time substantiate this. Nevertheless, modern usage has given to the whole Moorland region the name of Dartmoor ; and seeing that the district possesses the same physical features throughout, and that such are totally different in character from the surrounding country, it seems fitting that it should bear one general title. It is over this .range of hill country, of not much under 200 square miles, that the rights of the Dartmoor commoners extend. The boundaries of the ancient Forest, or those between the parish or manor commons, in no way affect these rights. The opinion of Mr. Percival Birkett, as ex- pressed in a paper read at a meeting of the Dartmoor Preservation Association, in 1885, and arrived at from a careful study of various records, is that the whole tract of Moorland, as far as con- cerns the commoners, is one great common. And it has been always so regarded ; no boundaries are considered by those who depasture on the Moor. The Dartmoor commoner embraces three classes of persons. One consists of the owners or occupiers of the ancient tenements in the Forest, held by copy of Court roll, together with those living in that portion of Lydford parish not within the Forest; the second of the Venville tenants; and the third of every owner or occupier of land in Devon, outside Venville, excepting the inhabi- tants of Barnstaple and Totnes. By the term Venville is meant certain lands in some of the border parishes having attached to them full commoners' rights, and being subject to a small rent for the same. Such estates were anciently known as vills, or towns, the latter word even at the present time being applied locally to COMMONERS' RIGHTS ON THE MOOR. 69 a collection of farmhouses, or even to a single holding. Sometimes the rights extend over the whole parish, and the rent, a nominal sum, is paid collectively. The word, as pointed out hy Mr. W. Burt, in his preface to Carrington's " Dartmoor," is, in all probability, derived from fines villarum, the fines, or rents, of the vills. The occupiers or owners of the Venville lands were regarded as being the King's tenants, and in return for their rights were bound to perform certain duties in the Forest, and to appear at the courts at Lydford. The rights of the Venville tenants are the same as those of the Forest men, and consist of common of pasture, turbary, or the cutting of peat for fuel, and the taking of stone for the repair of their farm buildings, and of rushes for thatching. In the words of a document of the time of Henry VIII. the King's tenants were entitled to take in the Forest of Dartmoor "all that maye doo thym good excepte grene ocke and venyson." The owners or occupiers in Lydford dwelling outside the Forest have, for the most part, only within the past three years become possessed of commoners' rights. Previously but a few in that parish, not being Forest men, were entitled to exercise them, which appears strange, having regard to the close connection that once existed between the Forest and the village, or town. Appli- cation was made to the Duchy by the parish that holders in the inground part of it should partici- pate in those benefits which the tenants in its Forest portion enjoyed, and with the result that similar rights were conferred upon them. A recent application by the parish of Mary Tavy that rights might also be granted to its inhabi- tants, made under the impression that it had once been in Venville, han proved unsuccessful. The Duchy Secretary has stated that there is evidence to show that the parish never was so included ; it can therefore have no claim to such benefits, its case not being analogous to that of Lydford. The third kind of commoner, the holder outside Venville, called in old documents "foreigners," "wraytors," and "strange men," have, according to M»\ Birkett, rights upon the Commons of Devon only, and these are limited to pasturage. The payments, by making which it is understood they may depasture on the Forest as well, are now received by those who rent the various quarters. The true origin of these rights is unknown, nor does such concern us here; the fact that they were recognised by the Crown at an early period is more important. The charter of King John secures to the " men of Devon and their heirs " those rights which they had long been accustomed to exercise within the regards of the Moor, they to render therefor certain services according to established custom, and this is all the commoner requires. But the rights have their limitations. The principal is that which restricts the commoner from turning on the waste a larger number of beasts than he can winter on his holding. But by the payment of agistment fees he was permitted to increase this number. A similar rule exists at the present time, though not always observed. The rights of pasturage were also limited to the daytime. It is set forth in a survey of the manors of the Black Prince that the commoners were to " come to the King's Forrest by sonne and goo home by sonne," and anyone found there after nightfall was to be fined 3d. Subsequently a fixed payment of 3d. yearly by each Venville tenant for what was termed night rest, entitled him to keep his beasts in the Forest by night as well as by day. Mr. Burt mentions 4d. as the amount, and wo have known such sum collected, but the former, it is probable, is all that can legally be demanded. In 1702 it was stated to be 3d., arid the Venville rent at that time was 6d. yearly for some tenements, for others one shilling, and for others two shillings. In the volume issued by the Dartmoor Preservation Association, containing the report of Mr. Stuart A. Moore, and Mr. Birkett's paper, numerous records from the 13th century onward are printed. The book is of considerable interest and value, as showing fully the nature and extent of the commoners' rights on the Moor, and its publication is an instance of the good and useful work done by the Association 70 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. Coming down to later times, we shall find that at the beginning of the 19th century the Dartmoor commoner exercised his rights as he ad always done, but the conditions under which cattle were depastured were different. The quarters of the Forest, as now, were leased, and were in the hands of Moormen, who made a business of receiving cattle to pasture. The former custom was for the Duchy to collect all fees, and to employ priours to look after the various beasts, and Foresters, who rendered accounts of the number agisted. A hundred years ago these fees do not appear to have altered much. In the 13th and 14th centuries we find the amount charged for each beast to be l^d. or 2d., and in the beginning of the 18th it is given as l^d. for a bullock and 2d. for a horse; in 1806, as we learn from Van- couver's " Agricultural Survey," the amount was 2d. for each beast. Twenty years' later Mr. Burt gives the same sum for bullocks, and l|d. for each head of young cattle. The charge for sheep, however, showed an increase; in 1702 it was 7Ad. per score, while in 1806 and 1826 it had risen to 3s. 4d. per score. Since the latter date, however, a considerable advance has taken place in the fee for horned beasts, but the .sum at present demanded must not be regarded as a charge for pasturage alone, any more than formerly. In consideration of the payments they receive the Moormen bestow a good deal of attention upon the beasts placed in their charge, constantly visiting that part of the Moor in which they are depastured, and saving their clients a great deal of trouble. They do not, however, hold themselves responsible should any of the animals be lost. A few years ago legal proceedings resulted in a decision that they were liable in such cases, since which time it has been usual for them to contract themselves out of such responsibility. Forest men, and numbers of the Venville tenants, do not need the services of the Moormen, taking upon themselves the duty of attending to their cattle. But it is, of course, necessary for the " foreigner" to place his beasts in their charge, and inquiry as to what number the owners may be entitled to put on the Moor is, for a very obvious reason, never made. The Moorman thus takes the place of the old priour, but instead of being a servant of the Duchy he is a lessee, or a sub-renter. The agistment fees are his ; the Venville rents and charges for night rest being received by the Duchy, when such are collected. Beyond this farming out of the quarters of the Forest there has been no material change from the old order rvf things in the administration of its affairs. The system has not greatly affected the commoners, even, it is very probable, in the matter of fees ; for if the priour still existed, and the former charges were maintained, the owners of cattle would yet be put to a further expense. The priour would not gather the animals, often from a considerable distance, and drive them to the commons, as the Moorman does, nor would he be bound to perform various services that the latter cheerfully renders In an elevated granitic region like Dartmoor it is to be expected that certain parts of it will be found of little value as pasturage. In places, more especially in the north quarter, there are hundreds of acres almost wholly peat bog, and others covered with only a very scant vegetation; but while this is so, it is yet true that, having regard to the size of the Moor, the area actually worthless a& grazing ground is of small proportions, and none of it is without a value of another kind. On the sides of the hills and in the sheltered combes the pasturage is for the most part excel- lent during summer, and it is no uncommon experience to find that when the fields in the lowlands are parched with drought there is abundant keep on Dartmoor, which then becomes of the greatest value to the stock-breeder and the farmer. There are certain spots in favour with the Moormen, where the pasturage is more than usually good, and their predecessors appear to have appreciated them also. In an early agistment roll such spots, called " predas," are named under the head of the Forest quarter in which they are situated. LUSTLEIGH. I -mm ., j ifl nil \1 \\.\TO\. COMMONERS' RIGHTS ON THE MOOR. 73 Thus we have the " Preda de Condyshull," the " Preda de Brembrok," the " Preda de Gnapptorre," and so on. If these localities be visited at the present day it will be found that they are free from extensive growths of heather and from bog, the soil being mostly covered with short grass, and they form desirable spots for the summering of cattle. Situated near them, or in their midst, may sometimes be seen the nuns of a small enclosure, or of what appears to be the hut of a shepherd or herdsman. These erections are of an altogether different type from the prehistoric remains so numerous on the Moor, but in more than one case ruins of the latter objects have afforded material wherewith to construct them. In some instances they are found sheltered under the rocks of a tor, low walls and a little gateway marking their site. The hut? are probably of the kind which the Foresters were instructed to build by an order of the Black Prince, issued in 1354 for the purpose of encouraging agistments on the Moor. The farmers and Moormen usually drive their beasts to some partiaular lair, as they term it, when first turning them on the Forest, and these will frequently be found to be identical with the old predas. From these localities the animals seldom stray very far, and the Moormen consequently generally know where they are likely to find the cattle of any particular owner. This does not apply to the Dartmoor pony, which, born on the Moor, roams in a half-wild state over a wider area. Referred to in early writings as horses, and by the Moormen of the present day invariably called colts, these hardy animals have for centuries ranged at will over the whole of the Moor. As Mr. W. F. Collier in an able paper, in Vol. XIX. of the "Transactions of the Devonshire Association," has pointed out, the pony by his wanderings has maintained without any interference the rights of pasture for the commoner. It appears from a statement of Vancouver that early in the 19th century a practice existed among some who depastured on the Moor of reserving to themselves certain parts of it as sheep-walks, and driving from them the animals of others. Such proceedings were certainly not in accordance with any rights pertaining to the Moor, nor is there reason to suppose that the practice became general. Vancouver says that the number of sheep kept on Dartmoor in 1806 was considerable, and speaks of the district as being one of the best among the common lands in the kingdom for those animals. Be states that during the months of August and September of that year the flocks were more numerous on the Moor, and in much higher condition, than on any other similar pasture grounds in England that had come under his observation, and yet the grass upon the Forest in the beginning of November was scarcely half consumed. The rights conferred by the Charter of King John were conditional upon the men of Devon performing certain services as they had been accustomed to do. These we afterwards find to con- sist of attendance at the courts regulating Forest matters, and rendering assistance at what are now known as the " drifts," as well as some minor duties. There is mention of them during many reigns in documents relating to the Fore:t, and though the manner of performing them has changed in some degree, most of them have still to be rendered. At the time of the drift, which is a driving, or searching, of the Moor, an exact view is taken of the animals upon it. The Duchy fix tlie date, and not only drive the Forest, each of its quarters separately, but most of the surrounding commons as well. It is one of the advantages of the present system of letting the Forest out to Moormen that the commoners are not put to the trouble of attending. A relic of the old mode of summoning the Forest men and Venville tenants — that of blowing horns on the tors early in the morning of the drift day, and which has been in disuse for nearly sixty years — may be seen in a narrow road called Quarry Lane, which leads from Whitchurch Down, near Tavistock, to the commons. It is a block of granite known as the Blowing Stone; a H 74 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. circular cavity is formed in one side, against which the horn was blown, with the idea of increasing the sound. The Moormen, and such tenants as take part in the proceedings, thoroughly sweep the quarter and its adjoining commons to the accompaniment of a good deal of shouting, and with their dogs drive the cattle before them. Cattle and ponies not claimed are driven as estrays to Dunna- bridge Pound, in the Forest, where their owners must redeem them, paying the fees, and also a charge for watering the animals. It has been said that anciently the Forest tenants were paid a noble for their services on such occasions ; later these appear to have been sadly under-rated, for in the reign of Charles I. the reward was very different, being no more than a halfpenny loaf. These tenants still attend at the Duchy Courts, now held at Princetown. Although the rights of the commoners have never been disputed, and while they still pasture their flocks and herds upon the great waste, cut peat when they require it, supply themselves with ferns and rushes, and with stone, yet have their privileges been greatly interfered with during the last hundred years by the encroachments that have taken place upon the Forest and border commons alike. When the attempts to cultivate parts of the waste commenced to be made the commoners saw their rights threatened. Within a few years of the opening of the 19th century the area of the east, west, and south quarters of the Forest had been considerably reduced, some of the best grazing ground being enclosed. On the accession of George IV., in whose possession as Duke of Cornwall the Forest had hitherto been, the Duchy lands reverted temporarily to the custody of the Crown, there being no heir apparent, and consequently no Duke. Shortly after- wards, in 1822, an Act was passed enabling his Majesty to make enclosures in the Forest and to grant leases, and the encroachments were continued. Newtake was added to newtake, until the lines of walls stretched right across the Forest, the enclosures completely severing the northern part of it from the southern. And this continued to a comparatively recent date. In the Rev. Samuel Rowe's " Perambula- tion," published in 1848, he leads the reader from Crockern Tor to Dunnabridge by striking across the common ; stone walls now bar the way, and " the common " has become Muddy Lakes New- take. Nuns' Cross, until about 1870, had few signs of man's intrusion into the wilderness near it; now a little farm, with a rude cottage exists close by, having been enclosed, under a grant from the Duchy, by a settler, who, with the assistance of his wife, reared the walls and formed the little fields. More recently a piece of ground on the Swincombe River, having a newtake on either side, and forming a sheltered spot, or " stroll," for cattle, and valued as such by the farmers in the neighbour- hood, was itself turned into a newtake by the Duchy, simply by throwing a wall across its upper part. And such instances are met with all over the district around Princetown and Post Bridge, and show that not only have the commoners' rights been disregarded, but their convenience as well. And the lords of manors on the skirts of the Moor have not infrequently shown a desire to wrest as many acres as possible from the commoners, and have also not scrupled to push their bounds over the Forest line. Though these portions of the Forest are always "viewed," as if they belonged to the commons, when the bounds of either of the latter are perambulated, it is doubtful whether the custom confers any ?ctual title. The viewing of the bounds of the parish commons is in some cases a septennial custom, but in others the ceremony is even less frequently observed. The bounds of the parish of Mary Tavy, which includes that part of Dartmoor known as Black Down, and which were perambulated in June, 1900, had not been viewed for about forty years. Though having only the rights of the COMMONERS' RIGHTS ON THE MOOR. 16 " foreigner " on the Moor, the parishioners of Mary Tavy have full and exclusive rights on Riack Down. An unfinished wall near Ger Tor, at the entrance to Tavy Cleave, shows where an attempt was made to enclose a great extent of common land, and traces of a fence near White Tor, above Waps- worthy, tell the same story. There have also been designs to enclose whole commons, and in the case of Rsington this was effected by an Aot passed in 1809. The Irishman's Wall, if it had been allowed to stand, would have enclosed Relstone Common against the Forest. A bank was commenced some years ago with a similar intention with respect to Rrent Moor, and more recently there was a project on foot to fence in Dean Moor. One of the latest attempts at enclosing was made on Holne Moore, where a small building was erected, but legal proceedings resulted in its removal. This curtailment of the commoners' rights by encroachment on the land is a very serious matter, for the value of the pasturage on the Moor to numbers of small border farmers, and, indeed, to all who live immediately around it, as well as to stock-breeders at a distance, who summer their cattle upon it, can scarcely be over-estimated. It is not sought to condemn the work of those who carried modern agricultural operations into the Forest. Far from it. What is objected to is the unnecessary wholesale enclosure of land that has been permitted. The Dartmoor Preservation Association has done excellent service in check- ing later attempts to encroach on the commoners' rights, as well as in other directions, and has thereby earned the gratitude of all who have an interest in the Moor. We have not spoken of the prison enclosures at Princetown, nor of the artillery ranges near Okehampton, both of which have deprived the commoners of much valuable pasturage ; but it may be said that the appropriation of such enormous tracts of land is contrary to all the usages of the Forest. During nearly six hundred years of Dartmoor history we find that comparatively few en- closures were made, and those only of the customary limits, some not being more than a single acre. It remained for modern times to witness that increase in their number and size which has proved so detrimental to the rights of those entitled to use the Moor as a grazing ground. From a question asked in the House of Commons, in August, 1898, by Mr. Seale-Hayne, we learn that over 15,000 acres of Dartmoor have been enclosed since 1820. And now at the commencement of the 20th century a new danger threatens the commoners. Certain sounds are in the air very disquieting to those who love Dartmoor for its charm of solitude and old-world customs, and who value their ancient rights. The Military Manoeuvres Rill lately before Parliament contained proposals that would sadly interfere with the exercise of the latter, and by which the great lone land would be shorn of much of its attractiveness. The commoner — the man of Devon — will yield to none in patriotism, and will be ready to make a sacrifice if the needs of the country demand it, but he is surely entitled to more consideration than he would receive if the contemplated measure were to become law. It is to be hoped that the resolution recently passed by the committee of the Dartmoor Pre- servation Association will not be without effect, and that "the War-office will so materially modify the bill as to make it acceptable to all concerned. ' Then Dartmoor, as it has ever been, will still be free to all, and the commoner will continue to exercise his rights without hindrance, "according to the custom of the Forest," as he has done " tynie owte of mynde.'' VIII. — Social Matters of the ioth Century. DESERT SETTLEMENT-PRIMITIVE DWELLERS -RAILWAY AND PROGRESS-TYPICAL MOORMEN-IMPROVED DWELLINGS -BETTER FOOD AND CLOTHING-CHANGE IN MODE OF TRAVEL-THE FIRST CART-HUMOROUS EFFECT OF RAILLERY-POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS-CHANGES AT CH/VGFORD-EDUCATION-SOCIAL AMENITIES-THE PRINCE CONSORT'S VISITS-ACCEPTANCE OF THE NEW ORDER. New customs may the ancient mould But scarce expel, so firm their hold ; And if of these we but retain Such as are good, be ours the gain, For oft no finer fruit we see Than grows upon an ancient tree — And grafting there some newer things, True progress from the union springs. THE PIONEERS. Though Dartmoor remains an abiding place of many old-world customs, it can yet afford an example of progress such as is not often met with. Within its boundaries a little town, formed entirely since the early part of the 19th century, has become a centre where modern ideas are fostered, and of sufficient importance to exercise an influence upon its surroundings. In the immediate neighbourhood of Princetown what, almost within living memory, was practically a desert is now a settled district, where the marks of advancement are plainly visible ; and although the march has not been equally rapid in all the parts of the Moor where habitations are found, still, everywhere there has been some progress in matters relating to the well-being of the people. To the enterprise of those who in past generations sought to carry agriculture into the Moor much of the existing state of things is to !ie attributed. While their objects were not fully attained, they were not altogether barren of results. They found the few inhabitants of the Moor living in a primitive manner in dwellings widely scattered, and where society had before scarcely an existence they were the means cf forming little communities, and thus the initiative to social progress was given. During the first half of the century this was, however, only slow. It was not until the railway touched its borders, almost simultaneously with the establishment of the convict prison at Princetown, that the state of society on Dartmoor became greatly changed. (Xo insinuation is here intended; we speak of society outside the walls.) Since that time the advancement has not ceased, and though in such a wild hill country it is only to be expected SOCIAL MATTERS OF THE 19th CENTURY. 11 that there will be found instances where its effects are not very perceptible at first, a closer acquaintance will reveal that such are not altogether absent. When we consider how much attached to old usages the Dartmoor dweller is, and the spirit of independence that naturally belongs to a people living in such an isolated district, it is not surprising that some should have been met with there who have not regarded the innovations with favour, or, at all events, have viewed them with apathy. We have known more than one instance of this. One inhabitant of our acquaintance was particularly averse to anything that savoured of town life. Living for a time in a rude little cabin, one side of which was formed by a hedge, ■ nd of which we have a vivid recollection, he left the borders of the Moor and built himself a small house on the Forest. It was very seldom that he left it, and when marketing, or such like, called him to Princetown he never remained there longer than he was compelled, "for," as he told us, "he couldn' abide the town." Another whom we well remember continued to the last in the old way in which he had been brought up, and rarely went further from his little home in a solitary valley than where his labour obliged him. We never heard him deride modern usages, but we noticed that he refrained from adopting them. Though a smoker, he used no matches, always carrying with him a flint and steel and a piece of rag which had been steeped in a solution of saltpetre for tinder. He dispensed altogether with the box, and we have seen him obtain a light for his pipe by wrapping the rag round his finger and dexterously dropping the spark upon it. The flints he used were probably the flakes or scrapers of a bygone age, which, as he informed us, he used to pick up on the Moor. In his dress he was equally primitive. Although we knew him for a good many years, we never saw him wear a coat. In its place he was usually clad in a garment resembling a long, loose blouse, made of thick blanketing. There were no buttons to trouble him ; the collar was sufficiently large to permit of this sack- like dress being drawn over his head. This, with a slouch hat, knee-breeches, and fustian leggings, or " skiddybats," as he called them, was his only garb; and no doubt he felt more comfortable in it than he would have done in the best suit the most expensive tailor ever turned out. We have a recollection, too, of a silvery-haired patriarch, who lived m the neighbourhood of Roborough Down, and whose travels never extended beyond a few miles from the place of his birth. Like the former, he disdained to adopt a modern style of dress, continuing to wear breeches and stockings, and a wide-skirted coat. On our once chancing to speak to him of a certain railway bridge, he said he knew nothing about it, and as for the train, he had "never zeed 'un." Though we might multiply these instances, it is yet true that, speaking generally, the inhabitants of the Moor, though retaining much of the manner that is old, have not been slow to recognise the advantages to be derived from adopting many of the ways that are new. Considerable improvement is to be observed on Dartmoor, as in other rural districts, in the housing of the people. Examples of the former state of things, of course, are not wanting; but in all the more recent erections attention has been given to various details upon which the earlier builders bestowed no thought, while in many of the older dwellings various alterations have been made to adapt them to modern requirements. Some of the houses belonging to the ancient Forest tenements have during recent years been rebuilt, and though, from an antiquarian point of view, the disappearance of the old structures is to be regretted, it must be admitted that the work was needed, ago and decay having rendered them unfit for habitation. On the borders of tho Moor, too, the rough stone walls and coverings of thatch are here and there gradually giving place to neater masonry and slated roofs. 78 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. But it is not to be imagined that because in a few cases rebuilding has been necessary, the quaint old border farmhouses are becoming things of the past. Such is by no means the case, and it will probably be many a long year before they begin to yield to decay, so substantially are they built. What has been effected is the erection of an occasional house in the place of one altogether past repair ; the sweeping away of hovels in some of the Moor villages ; and the improvement in a number of cases of labourers' dwellings. The houses at Princetown are, of course, of an altogether different kind, and within the past few years yet another class of dwelling has found a place on Dartmoor. The bringing of the Moor by the railway within easy reach of the outer world has caused several to seek upon it a summer resting-place, and in certain spots, in what may be termed the enclosed part of Dartmoor, attractive residences are to be seen. A new class of society has thus sprung into existence on the Moor, which, though migratory, is not without its influence on the inhabitants. A similar improvement in the matters of food, clothing, and wages to that which has taken place in the agricultural districts of the county has been witnessed on the Moor. The days when the newtake-wall builder, or the peat-cutter, was content to carry with him a piece of raw bacon for his midday meal are past, and even the same kind of meat, though nicely cooked, would not be looked upon with favour if it chanced to be what he calls "risty," that is, strongly flavoured, but which was not objected to by the labourer of a generation ago. Of butcher's meat he cannot have a great deal, but he certainly would not think of doing entirely without it. He has heard of barley bread, but has never seen any unless he be an old man, and then it was a long while since. Except in the most out-of-the-way parts of the Moor, the baker from the nearest market- town finds him out and supplies him with bread, or, when the good wife bakes her own, with flour. The grocer's van is also regular in its calls upon him, and every border village has its own little store, where all that he requires can generally be obtained. The shops in the market- towns supply the Moor farmer and the labourer with their boots and clothing, the latter being now very seldom made at home, as was formerly the case. It used to be the custom when clothes were required by the farmer or his family to buy the necessary length of cloth, and then to employ a tailor from the neighbouring village to come to the house and make the garments there. In addition to his pay, his board was found him, and sometimes his visit would last for several days. The village cordwainer, too, is disappearing before the march of "ready-made" boots, or, when he exists, is more often only "a mender of soles." When he made the Moormen's boots, however, he did not put the finishing touch to them ; the blacksmith did that. The latter received them from the maker, or from the owner, when newly completed, and fitted them with iron plates, in order that they might stand rough wear, and this was called " tackling." We have known boots to be made at a little thatched house on the Forest, and they were invariably sent to the nearest smithy, a distance of four miles, in order to undergo this necessary process. In the mode of travelling, perhaps, as great a change has been witnessed as in any direction. The pack-horse and the pillion are seen no more ; wheeled conveyances have taken their place, and on eveiy farm carts are used in the fields, and the spring " trap " carries the farmer's wife to the weekly market. But this change, even after good roads crossed the Moor, and became general on its confines, was a very gradual one. The first cart introduced into the parish of Ugborough remained for some time the only one there ; and in Peter Tavy an incident is still related shewing that the new mode of conveying loads was not regarded with favour at the outset. A farmer of that parish, whose enterprise carried him to the length of buying a cart, was SOCIAL MATTERS OF THE 19th CENTURY. 79 so unmercifully bantered by his neighbours that he soon repented his bargain. Being on the Moor one day after peat (and, by the way, wheels are not easily driven among the turf-ties), the raillery of his companions so annoyed the good man that, unharnessing his horse, he turned the cart over into a tie, and, covering it with peat, left it there to rot.* But though slow in establishing itself, the wheeled conveyance gradually gained in favour when the first prejudice was overcome, and when its advantages were fully recognised its use became general. To-day intelligence from all parts of the world reaches the heart of Dartmoor just as speedily as it does any other place in the kingdom. But how different was this a hundred years ago. Even when the 19th century was well advanced it would appear that news, though of national importance, penetrated very slowly to some of the mere remote parts of the Moorland district. It is related that in Bridford, a small village in the hill country bordered by the Teign, and which De la Beche remarks is geologically and geographically a part of Dartmoor, the death of George III. was not heard of until some six or eight weeks after it had taken place. Letters had to be fetched from the post-office in the market-towns, it being customary in some cases to expose those that had arrived in the window, so that callers from the villages might not only be able to see whether there were any letters for themselves, but also for their neighbours. Now there is a convenient service on the Moor, and one may post at a wall-box in places where not so very long since only a few ancient farmhouses were to be seen. Not much over a mile from the entrance to the well-known Tavy Cleave he may do this, and if he chanced to reside even quite close to that rocky defile he would find the postman regularly bring him his letters. There has, of course, been telegraphic communication with Princetown for a great number of years, and it has recently been extended to other parts of the Moorland district. In September, 1899, it was opened with Post Bridge, and two months later with the border village of Manaton. When the "Perambulation" of the Rev. Samuel Rowe was published, in 1848, the little town of Chagford seems to have been a somewhat different sort of place from what it is at present. Then, that writer tells us, a post-chaise at the door of the Three Crowns was sufficiently an object of wonder to attract a group of rustic onlookers. Now a coach runs regularly between that place and the railway terminus at Moretonhampstead, a few miles distant, and has done for several years. During the summer season Chagford is full of visitors, and can boast of good hotels and boarding-houses. The air of picturesque informality in its appearance, of which Mr. Rowe speaks, has certainly not altogether vanished, but it is not so striking as in his time, or within our own recollection. And the quaint costumes of the ancient dames, to which he also alludes, are no longer to be seen in the street, or at church, modern fashions in dress having taken their place. The change in the order of things at Chagford has not only been very great, but rapid also. The primitive little place of thirty or forty yea/s ago has become a noted resort of the tourist, possessing among other things a good library, for which it is indebted to the fostering care of Mr. Holmes, whose work as librarian has been ungrudgingly given. The town has shown itself ambitious, too, for a few years since it witnessed the installation of the electric light. Thus Chagford in one respect has outstripped the capital of the Moor, for Princetown has still to be content with gas. *The scene of this occurrence is stated to have been Langstone Moor, on the right bank of the Walkham, and the chief actor in it was Willia n Reep, who, at the time, resided at Cox Tor Farm, and afterwards at Hill Town, both in the parish of Peter Tavy. He died suddenly about forty years ago, whilst on his way home from Peter Tavy Church, 80 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. Educational facilities are not wanting on Dartmoor. The voluntary schools, managed by the rector and a committee, and which are situated at Post Bridge and Huccaby, provide accommodation for the children living in the central part of the Moor. At Princetown the children attend the Prison Officers' National School ; this is under the management of the governor of the prison and a committee of the officials. Those living on Walkhampton Common and around Merivale and Rundle Stone mostly attend the Foggintor Mission Hall, School. The only Board school in the parish is at Lydford village. During the winter classes are held under the auspices of the Princetown District Technical Education Committee, and excellent work in carpentry and wood- carving is often executed by the students. The prison officers have a good library, and a recreation-room, and in the latter concerts and entertainments of various kinds are given during the long winter months ; they have also a quadrille class, and hold occasional dances. At Post Bridge, Huccaby, Widecombe, and many other of the Moorland villages, a concert often helps to enliven the dreary season, and forms a far more rational mode of amusement than the fiddling and cudgelling bouts of former days. Princetown is not dependent entirely upon the good offices of its amateur performers, as it is occasionally visited by a professional company. In the summer a sufficiency of amusements suitable to the season are also provided, the Princetown Lawn Tennis Club and the Dartmoor Prison Officers' Cricket Club being especially popular. On the ground of the latter is a pavilion of granite erected by the directors of his Majesty's convict department, and the field is also used for fetes. There are also cricket and football grounds on the edges of several of the commons, as well as golf links. At Princetown various societies exist such as are usually found in towns or large villages having any pretensions to progress. Among them are associations of the two political parties, and a co-operative society; there is also a lodge of the Freemasons. In a town where there are such a number of Government officials it is obvious there will be frequent changes among its residents. The departure of such as have been particularly prominent in good work during their sojourn on the Moor is not generally permitted to take place without a public farewell, and these social gatherings are characterised by great warmth of feeling. That this should be so is only what might be expected in a town where the conditions of life tend to create among the inhabitants a more than ordinary interest in its welfare. Each regards the other as his neighbour, and thus the ties that bind the community are strong. The desires that animated the settlers of a hundred years ago, when Sir Francis Buller insti- tuted the friendly gatherings of his workpeople at Prince Hall, still exist, and the little town which indirectly sprung from such a small beginning, continues to flourish in the midst of the desert. Local matters of a public nature tending to the well-being of the inhabitants of the Forest Quarter of Lydford parish receive full attention. A work of considerable importance was undertaken some three years ago by the Parish Council. This comprised an extensile system of sewerage for Princetown, in connection with which an aqueduct of eleven arches has been thrown over the Blacka- brook. A scheme for a supply of water to the town has also engaged the attention of the Council. The Prince Consort took a great interest in Dartmoor and in the welfare of Princetown, visiting the latter place on two separate occasions. The first was in 1846, when operations were in progress at the Naphtha Works, over which he was shown by Mr. Stockman, the manager. Mr. Charles Barrington, who at that time resided at Brimpts, just within the south-eastern border of the Forest, met the Prince, who was on his way to the Prison from Ashburton, at Dartmeet. While they were talking together they heard the salute fired at Plymouth on the arrival there of Queen Victoria. The Prince was on a yachting tour with Her Majesty at the time, and had left the Royal yacht in order to visit the Moor. The Prince during his brief stay in the Moorland capital was a guest at the Duchy Hotel. It was six years later — in 1852 — when the Prince again visited the little town, his TWO BRIDGES. BECKY FALLS. SOCIAL MATTERS OF THE 19th CENTURY. 83 purpose on that occasion being to inspect the Prison, which had then quite recently been opened as a convict depot. Various suggestions had been made from time to time as to what purpose the old war prison should be put to, and it is said that it was by the advice of the Prince that a former proposal to use it as a place of detention for convicts was adopted. Preparations for their reception were com- menced in 1850, and the first governor of the depot was Captain Gambier. On the occasion of this second visit Nathaniel Mill, who had charge of the Dartmoor section of the Devonport leat, had the honour of presenting His Royal Highness with a dish of trout which he had caught for him, and was rewarded by the gift of a sovereign. The changes which the last hundred years have wrought upon the state of society on Dartmoor are doubly a matter for congratulation, for while they have been elevating they have also been effected without sweeping away the older characteristics of the inhabitants. Much of what the Moor farmer and labourer have seen introduced has compelled them to acknowledge the superiority of "in-country" modes, but such has aroused no feelings of discontent. They still love the rugged land of their birth as much as they ever did, and while they are willing to adopt the manners of the lowlands, have no desire to leave their country of rock and bog. They are grateful for the new order of things, but never despise the old. You may learn from some of the more aged, if you will, what the Moor was like in their youth ; but they do not tell you of the changes that have taken place upon it as though they regretted them. They delight to talk of the times gone by, yet seem to recognise that they lacked many of the benefits that the present state of society confers. IX. — Hunting in the Moor Country. EARLY TRADITIONS- SIR FRANCIS DRAKE AND THE STAG-TOR NAMES-A ROYAL HUNT- ING-GROUND-EARLY HUNTS-THE LAST DEER-THE TIRST FOX-ARSCOTT OF TETCOTT-SIR JOHN ROGERS-MID-DEVON HUNT-FURLONG HARRIERS- SOUTH DEVON HOUNDS-TOM FRENCH-A FRENCH FOX-DARTMOOR GREYHOUND-ASHBURTON HARRIERS-DART VALE HARRIERS- BRIMPTS MEETINGS-THE DARTMOOR HOUNDS- MODBURY HARRIERS-OTTER HOUNDS-LAMERTON HOUNDS-DEVONSHIRE SPORTSMEN. Unrivalled in beauty and kennelled in rocks, As King of the Forest I honour the fox ; He recks not of law, and he plunders amain Whatever is dainty on hillside or plain ; As wild as the winds and as swift his career, "Pis a sharp pack will carry this bold buccaneer; But -vengeance, though tardy, will come to his door, And his doom be denounced on the rugged Dartmoor. REV. E. W. L. DAVIES. The earliest traditions belonging to Dartmoor are connected -with hounds and hunting, and such is also the case with some of a later date. An exemplar of the central figure in many of the German legends is found in the Wish Huntsman, who is said to haunt the old Forest, and who, when the storm is raging, may be heard at the dead of night urging on his hounds, the cracking of his whip sounding above the howling of the wind. It is also told how a single black hound roams constantly over the Moor, though he is never seen except after nightfall. The story of Childe of Plymstock, old even when Pusdon wrote early in the 17th century, is of a hunter who perished in a snowstorm in a solitary Dartmoor valley. Every night Lady Howard, in the form of a spectral hound, sets out from the gate of Fitzford, near Tavistock, on her weary journey across Black Down and Prewley Moor to Okehampton Park to bring thence a blade of grass, which she is doomed to do until the end of time. Among the traditionary stories related of Sir Francis Drake, the scenes of some of which are laid on Dartmoor and its western borders, is one which tells how that famous knight was pursued by a stag (the animal thus reversing the usual order of the chase) and compelled to seek refuge among the boughs of an oak in the grounds of Buckland Abbey. HUNTING IN THE MOOR COUNTRY. 85 Some of the Dartmoor tors, it is thought, have obtained their names in consequence of a connection with the chase. Thus it has been suggested that such rock piles as Hart Tor, Doe Tor, Fox Tor, and Hare Tor were formerly noted haunts of deer and of the lesser animals whose names they bear. But while this is much more likely to be correct than the supposition that these tors were so called because of a fancied resemblance to the forms of those animals, it is in an even greater degree probable that in most cases the names are merely corruptions of older ones, the meaning of which has been lost. At the same time it is possible that the former explanation is the right one in some instances, for several of the Dartmoor tors really do bear comparatively modern names that suitably describe their nature or appearance. But whatever our ideas may be as to the reason why the animals re- ferred to are associated with certain of the hills and tors of the Moor, we at all events know that they have made the "old, wild forest" their home for centuries, and have been objects of concern to the hunter. When we first hear of Dartmoor it is as a hunting-ground of the King, and although Royalty does not now join in the chase over its bare hills and through its rocky glens, and the hounds no longer rouse the lordly stag from the border coverts, it is still, as it has been through the cen- turies, the scene of many an exhilarating run, and the silence of the waste is yet often broken by the sound of the huntsman's horn. The connection of Dartmoor with the chase in early times is frequently shown in ancient land tenures, and there are also allusions in various documents to the deer upon it. The lands of David of Sciredun were held by him conditionally upon his finding two arrows when the King hunted on Dartmoor; Odo Arch and Walter de Bromhall held lands in Droscumb subject to finding a bow and three arrows ; and two arrows and an oat cake were also to be supplied by William de Albemarle in return for his manor of Loston. The Forest perambulators of 1609 report that William Chastie " kild a stagge with a pece or gun " on Dartmoor, for Sir Thomas Wise, of Sydenham. In the Pipe Rolls it is set forth how one Nicholas Payne, being appointed "to make provycon of fresh meate " for the use of Prince Charles, son of James I., on his homeward voyage from Spain, in 1G23, sent out, among other things, "three stagges and fower buckes from the foreste of Dartmore"; in 1627 several deponents in a suit in which the rector of Lydford was the defendant, refer to the deer, which do not then appear to have been very abundant, and the Rev. George Lyde, vicar of Widecombe at the time of the great storm in 1638, also mentions them in a poem that he has left us. In the 18th century deer did such injury to the crops on the borders of the Moor in the neigh- bourhood of Tavistock, that, as we learn from Mrs. Bray, the farmers petitioned the Duke of Bedford to get rid of them, and his grace accordingly sent his staghounds down from Woburn, and it is said the deer were extirpated. But Miss Rachel Evans in her book on " Tavistock and Its Vicinity " says, though we do not know on what authority, that the last herd of deer (presumably iu that district) was driven during a hard winter on to the frozen surface of the Tamar, and the animals were drowned by the breaking of the ice. This was the work of farmers, whose motives, however, were not only to prevent further havoc being wrought in their fields, but also to vent their spleen against the master of the hounds to whom they had taken a dislike. Miss Evans states that the event occurred about fifty years before she wrote, which was in 1846. But, as far as recorded, 1780 was the year in which the last deer was killed by hounds on Dart- moor, for information relative to which subject we are indebted to Mr. E. Fearnley Tanner. We learn from him that in the latter part of the 17th century kennels were built at the old Manor i louse of Brook, between Buckfastleigh and Holne (the house bears the date 1656, but this was a restoration only) and a regular pack of stout, deoply-uYwed hounds— tradition says of the bloodhound type — was kept for staghunting. Previous to this red deer were hunted on Dartmoor not by an 86 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. organised pack, but rather as occasion offered. In the entrance hall of Brook are eight sets of antlers, and the latest in date has this inscription under it : " This stag was roused in Brook Wood, and killed after a very fine chase of 5^ hours, by the hounds of Bidlake Herring, Esq., September 17th, 1780." Deer do not, however, seem to have entirely disappeared from Dartmoor till some time after the above date, if Cooke is correct. Writing about 1805, he says that they were then nearly ex- terminated, but that some from the Moor had entered Boringdon Park within a few years previously, and had remained there with the fallow deer during several months. But stragglers from the North of Devon have since occasionally visited the Moor. Mrs. Bray, writing in 1832, mentions that such was the case in her neighbourhood, and in Bellamy's " Natural History of South Devon" it is stated that deer had sometimes been observed in the vicinity of Ashburton, and that one was hunted near that town about 1836. In December, 1882, a stag was found by the Mcdbury Harriers at Leigh Wood, near Gara Bridge, on the Avon. It was run to Stowford Cleaves, above Ivybridge, and thence for some distance across the Moor, being eventually lost near Meavy. Within the past nine years deer have been seen in Buckland Woods, on the Dart ; also on Hembury, in the same neighbourhood, and on the side of Cosdon, in the north of Dartmoor. Mr. C. F. Burnard also saw one a few years ago while fishing near Swincombe, in the heart of the Moor. In 1892 two hinds and a fawn, which had been seen for some time previously in Buckland Woods, were roused by the Dart Vale Harriers, and driven up the Widecombe Valley ; and deer have also been observed there more recently. In 1898, several having harboured in these woods, which belong to Mr. Bastard, a revival of staghunting on Dartmoor was attempted. Sir Jobn Amory's staghounds were brought down, and a meet took place at Welstor Cross, about two miles from Ashburton. But the hopes which had been formed were doomed to disappointment. . A numerous field assembled, but no deer could be found, although one old resident affirmed that stags had been in the coverts for ten years. Mr. Ian Amory, the Master of the staghounds, tried the woods on each side of the Dart, but there was no result, and thus the latest chapter in the history of hunting the red deer on Dartmoor ended. Although the absence of sufficient cover in the central portion of the Moor renders it unlikely that deer have been very numerous there during the past two or three centuries, upon its fringe are thickly-wooded valleys, affording suitable harbours, and here there is no reason to doubt they were abundant. But it is said that they became scarce towards the end of the 18th century in conse- quence of the troubles of our Continental wars, making farm produce so valuable that farmers could not submit to their depredations, and, furthermore, the limits of cultivation became so widely extended that they invaded the feeding grounds of the deer. These changes led to their slaughter by other means than by hounds, with the result that before the close of the century the chase of the red deer on Dartmoor had become a thing of the past. The fox, like the deer, has also been hunted for a considerable time on Dartmoor, and has now usurped the place of the latter in the chase. He is mentioned among the animals hunted in the country watered by the Tavy, in an old poem called " Tavestock's Encomium,' 2 considered, accord- ing to Mrs. Bray, to have been written by a schoolmaster of that town in the latter part of the reign of Charles II. But Masters of Hounds in the last century did not confine themselves to hunting Reynard solely. Mr. Arscott, of Tetcott, immortalised in the old Devonshire ballad, kept no less than three packs — staghounds, foxhounds, and harriers — his country extending over the Moors of Holsworthy and Broadbury. This wild district was in his time almost one with Dartmoor, and, indeed, for some period subsequently. From Cooke's " Topographical Survey of Devon " we learn that in the early years of the HUNTING IN THE MOOR COUNTRY. 87 19th century the country north of Tavistock and towards Launceston, and also eastward to the immediate environs of Okehampton, was one great stretch of Moorland, extending from the skirts of Dartmoor to the uncultivated hills of Cornwall ; for although the tract was strewed with plots of reclaimed land, there was no regular line of separation between the two upland regions. In the days of Arscott, of Tetcott, the management of a pack of hounds was not quite the same thing it is to-day. Mr. C. A. Harris, in his "Letters on the Foxhounds of Devonshire," tells us that the value of an intelligent whipper-in was ignored, and that " a burly groom, with a powerful arm to crack a hunting-whip of the size and shape of a flail," was deemed all sufficient. There was a coarseness, too, among the hunting men of that time to which those of the present day are happily strangers. Then " sportsmen of degree sat down to dinner m greasy leather - breeches, tattered slippers, and with loosened shirt collars, to facilitate the process of deglutition " ; and with such an example set them it is scarcely to be wondered at that "brutality in word and deed — and an incessant noise — characterised the old Devonshire huntsman and his assistant." Social and educa- tional progress has left all this behind. The first Dartmoor fox of which we have any record in the 19th century was unseen — only his footprints being observable, which he had left, not on the sands of time, but on the black, peaty bottom of Cranmere Pool, where they were discovered by Mr. E. A. Bray in September, 1802. Cranmere, though still called a pool, is now merely a hollow in the midst of the fen, the greater part of the bottom of which is covered with coarse vegetation, and it is incapable of holding water, there being a breach in the bank on the northern edge. The cause of the latter is explained in various ways, one being that the bank was dug through in consequence of a hunted fox having gone to earth there. However this may be, it would appear that the breach was made subsequently to Mr. Bray's visit, for though he remarks that the pool was then dry, bespeaks of its capabihty of holding water to a depth of six or eight feet. Down to less than a hundred years ago packs of hounds seem to have been very numerous, but were kept on an entirely different plan from that of modern days. In the records of Fardel Manor, on the southern confines of the Moor, and now the property of Mr. J. D. Pode, of Slade, there is evidence of this, and Mr. Pode states that it appears that evory house of any pretension in that neighbourhood— Delamore, Blachford, Fardel, Slade, Goodamoor — had its pack of hounds. There is no doubt that the records of other manors on the Moorland borders would show a similar state of things. The only pack of hounds kept within the Forest of which we have any report was, according to a story still current in the neighbourhood, kennelled at Babeny, and belonged to Sir John Rogers, of Blachford. That Sir John was connected with that place is certain, for Mr. Robert Burnard has ascertained that he was admitted tenant of two ancient tenements there on the 17th March, 1814. But what appears strange is that he did not hold them, for almost immediately after his admission he surrendered them to another. Sir John finds a place in a lyrical account of a chase and a dinner of the Chulmleigh Hunt Club, in the year above-named, written by Mr. George Templcr. In addition to the fox, the hare and the otter are also hunted on Dartmoor, its early traditions being thus well maintained. For a considerable time the Moor country has been partitioned for hunting purposes into four districts, but these correspond only in a slight degree with the ancient quarters of the Forest. What for convenience sake may be lormed the northern district, but which excludes much of the north quarter at the same time taking in a considerable portion of the east quarter, belongs to the Mid- Devon Hunt. It comprehends that portion of Northern Dartmoor lying to the eastward of the West Ockmcnt, and of a line drawn by Kneeset to Cut I, ano and the East Dart, which stream becomes the boundary to Post Bridge, where the Moreton road acts as a dividing line between it and the eastern district. 88 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. Until recently Mr. Hayter-Hames and Mr. Windham H. Holley were joint Masters of the Mid- Devon Hounds ; but the present Master is Mr. Gilbert Spiller, of Eaglehurst, Chagford. The bounds are kennelled at Holy Street, and not very far from the picturesque old mansion of that name. The country which they hunt comprises some of the very wildest on the whole of Dartmoor, including within its area the dreary recesses around East Dart Head and Cranmere, amid which, without a perfect knowledge of the district, it would be impossible for a rider to follow hounds. It is only in a few places that it becomes possible for horses to cross the great expanses of boggy land ; hence the best thing for a stranger to do is to endeavour to follow some member of the field who, he is satisfied, knows the ground. The Furlong Harriers also hunt this side of the Moor, the Master being Mr. William Bragg, who-f family have kept hounds for a longer period than any other in the Dartmoor country, and probably in the whole of Devon. In the 17th century Mr. Bragg's ancestor (his great-grandfather once removed) had a few couple of hounds, and with others used to hunt the deer, fox, otter, and hare on the Moor. Notes on the hunting of that period made by this Dartmoor Nimrod, and going back to 1600, were unfortunately destroyed by fire a few years ago. His son, the present Mr. Bragg's great-grandfather, also kept hounds in the first half of the 18th century, and his mantle fell upon his son, Mr. George Bragg, who formed a pack at Moreton- hampstead in 1793. In 1822 he gave the hounds to the Rev. W. Clack, who kept them at the Rectory, and they were afterwards hunted by his son and Colonel Stevenson. Mr. Clack's son, who was an uncle of Mr. William Bragg, was for many years the rector of Moreton, and died there in December, 1900. The pack was subsequently given up, and in 1857 Mr. Westlake took up his residence at Sandy Park, near Chagford and hunted the South Devon Hounds until 1865. After that Mr. Bragg's father and uncle kept a pack of harriers, and at the death of the former in 1869 the latter continued to hunt them, but changed the pack to foxhounds about 1878. True to the traditions of his family, the present representative, who has kindly furnished us with these particulars, continues to keep harriers, and, known by the name of his estate — Furlong, in the parish of Drewsteignton — this fine pack shows many a good day's sport among the wild hills and rocky combes of the old Moor. That this keen sportsman should have a desire that his son should keep hounds after him is but natural, and none on the Chagford countryside would wish otherwise. But they will, nevertheless, continue to hope that the Furlong Harriers will know no other Master than their present one for a long while to come. The eastern part of the Moor is hunted by the South Devon Hounds, their country lying south of the Moreton-road, and extending westward to the Dart, thus embracing the great ridge of Hamel- don, th? Widecombe valley, and the range of commoi land around Hey Tor. The earliest Master of Hounds of note, hunting this distict during the present century, was one who has been spoken of as the favoured and favourite sportsman, anywhere and everywhere, Mr. George Templer, of Stover. In conjunction with his friends, Mr. Harry Taylor and Mr. Russell, it is some fifteen years ago. Wistman's Wood in 1886, by some means never ascertained, took fire, and a considerable portion of it wa- seriously damaged. The fire was observed by Mr. Charles Barrington, who immediately hastened to the wood, but the progress of the flame- could not be checked. It was at first imagined that incendiarism was the cause of the outbreak, or possibly care. ness on the part of visitors. Two <_ r entlemen had passed by the wood just previously to the dis- covery of the fire, and it was thought they may have dropped a lighted match among the dead leaves. They both, however, denied that such was the case, and there being no other solution forthcoming, it could only be supposed that the fire originated through the heating of decayed leaves, but this opinion was not shared by everyone. Though greatly damaged, it i- satisfactory to know that the injury did not turn out to be ious as was at first feared, and that this ancient grove may still be seen in the midst of its rocky fastness below Longaford Tor. The prehistoric remains on Dartmoor consist of the low walls of habitation- and enclosures, and of various sepulchral monuments. The first-named are known as hut circles, and are exceeding numerous. They are often found in groups, forming settlements, and are sometimes placed within an enclosing wall. This enclosure varies in size from about four acre-; downward, and afforded shelter and protection from wild animals to the cattle at night. Track lines, or low bank- running for a considerable distance, and which probably formed boundarie-. are also seen on the Moor. Among the remains of a sepulchral character are dolmens, cr cromlechs : kdstvaens, or stone chests, the name given to the rude coffins formed of slab- of granite; stone circle-, sometimes sur- rounding a kistvaen, and at others found without those objects ; menhirs, or tall, upright stones : stone row-, cairn-, and barrow-. The mediaeval antiquities on the Moor comprise stone crosses, clapper bridge-, miners' huts, and blowing-h' tone moulds for receiving smelted ore, and granite troughs used by the tinner-. There is scarcely one among these <■',. objects in which numerous examples bav< not suffered at the hand- of the -poliator during the past hundred years. Stone- have been ruthlessly removed for building purposes, for gate-posts and for bridges, and in some cases the destruction has been wrought through sheer wantonness A young man of Tavistock, according to Mr- Bray, celebrated his freedom from his apprentice- ship by going on the Moor with some companion^ and working great havoc anion.' the -tone remain-. Siward's I irned and the shaft broken by two boy- when on the Moor rching ; ttle, and the clappers at P and Bellaford have also suffered. Some ,:o we discovered the m>n who damaged these bridges. Tb> i in throwing off th«> 98 A HUNDRED YEARS OK DARTMOOR. stone from the centre of the former was to pond back the water, and also to prevent ducks from going down the stream. In the case of Bellaford clapper, the stone was displaced out of a mere destructive spirit. The men who did this, or at whose instigation it was done, have both passed away, but they lived long enough to regret the mischief they had wrought. The stone at Post Bridge has been replaced. In June, 1846, the Rev. Samuel Roavo observed and measured a fine specimen of a kistvaen near Hound Tor, but little of it now remains. From inquiries made on the spot in 1878 we learnt that the author of its partial destruction was a road-contractor who lived in a cottage hard by, and it would probably have disappeared entirely had he not found that what remained of it was likely to be worth more to him as a " lion " to which to guide visitors, than as road material. The cross on Western Whitaburrow, a cairn on Brent Moor, and which was erected about the middle of the 16th century to mark the boundary of lands belonging to Sir William Petre, was mutilated by peat-cutters about the year 1847; and the fine group of stone remains on Long Ash Hill, near Merivale, has suffered not a little even in recent years. Until 1865 Shelstone Pound, near Throwleigh, was in a perfect condition, and so, when Rowe wrote, was a fine enclosure near Manaton, but now little other than the memory of them remains. Instances might be multiplied of the destruction wrought among the antiquities of the Moor during the past hundred years ; a destruction utterly needless, for stones suitable for building purposes are to be found on every hand. Those who have not witnessed a snowstorm on the Moor can scarcely conceive the picture of utter wildness it presents at such a time. Should the wayfarer chance to be overtaken by such with no place of shelter near, the consequences are net unlikely to prove serious ; indeed, many instances have occurred of persons perishing when exposed to the relentless fury of a Moorland storm. Miss Sophie Dixon relates how when very young she was shown a large rock beside a track on the Moor, close to which the body of a young man of Plymouth had been found. It was supposed that he had mistaken his way, the ground being covered with snow, and darkness coming on, was unable to proceed further, and lying down was frozen to death. About 1823 two lads belonging to Runnage, one of the ancient forest tenements, were exposed to a storm, and one of them perished. They had been sent to look after some sheep, when they were overtaken by a heavy fall of snow, and were unable to return to the farm. Their protracted absence causing some alarm, search was made for them. On being discovered, one, as stated, was dead, and the other wrapped in a profound sleep, but by the employment of suitable means was fortunately roused from his lethargy. In 1853, three soldiers of the 7th Royal Fusiliers, Corporal Joseph Penton, and Privates Pat- rick Carlin and George Driver, lost their lives near Princatown, during a snowsterm. They were on their way to that place from Dousland, where the corporal had met Carlin and Driver, who had come from Plymouth, their company being then stationed at the Prison Barracks. It was snowing when they started from the inn at Dousland, and the landlord advised them not to proceed. They made their way, however, through the deep drifts, and succeeded in getting several miles on the road. But they never reached their journey's end. The bodies of the two privates were found near the hollow known as the Devil's Bridge, scarcely a mile from Princetown, while the corpora! had got within two hundred yards of the Duchy Hotel. In "Warner's Walk Through the Western Counties" it is related how a Dartmoor peasant, in search of sheep, discovered the body of a sailor on the Moor, which had apparently been lying there five or six weeks Although much emaciated, it is said that his countenance was serene ; his 1m:k1 rested on ;i -mall bundle of linen, and at his feet lay the remains of his faithful dog. It is not stated that be perished in the snow, but there is little doubt that, missing his way, he lost hi& h' SOME NOTABLE OCCURRENCES. 99 life through encountering a fierce storm. Such is the idea formed by Carrington, who has made the incident the subject of a touching poem. *There lay the wanderer by the quivering bog, And, at his foot, his patient, faithful dog. Thrice gallant brute! that through the weary day Shared all the perils of the lonely way, Faced the fierce storm, and, by his master's side, In the cold midnight, laid him down and died ! We are told by Miss Sophie Dixon that the remains of a man, consisting only of bones, with seme fragments of clothing, were discovered, some years before she wrote, in a plot of rushes, near the single stone clapper over the Wallabrook, close to the confluence of that stream with the Teign. The shreds of clothing served as a means of identification at the inquest held on the body. It was proved to be that of a man of unsound mind, who some months previously had wandered from his friends at Plymouth. We are not quite certain as to the date of this occurrence, as Miss Dixon, writing in 1846, says she "thinks" the circumstance happened about ten years before that time. If she is correct the unfortunate man cannot have been the same of whom Jonas Coaker used to speak. He recollected seeing a person pass through Post Bridge in November, 1822, who proved to be a pauper from Plymouth Workhouse, on his way to Chagford. Nothing more was heard of him till the following March, when some men who were tracking foxes in the snow came upon his remains. It is probable, as the circumstances of each case are so similar, that Miss Dixon was mistaken in the date, and that her account referred to the individual whom Jonas Coaker saw. The sad death of the schoolmaster of the Princotown Prison will be within the recollection of many among the older inhabitants of the district. He called about nine o'clock at night at a cottage near Moor Shop, some two miles from Tavistock, from which town he was returning home. A terrific storm was raging, the snow falling fast, and he was entreated to remain, but fearing, if he did so, his wife would become anxious and imagine he had been lost, he determined to proceed. The next morning his dead body was found in the snow. The occurrence took place nearly forty years ago. A similar fate befel a farmer who lived at Stannon, a Moorland farm near Tavy Cleave. He, too, was on his way home from Tavistock, when he was overtaken by a snowstorm, before he had proceeded very far. It was late at night, and he had not gone above two miles when he lost his way. He somehow got to Wringworthy Farm, which is off the main road, and roused the inmates. On learning where he was, he decided upon going forward, although strongly urged to stay. He set out, and managed to make his way up the valley of the Tavy past Wapsworthy, and actually got within a quarter of a mile of his home. There, it is supposed, he sank down exhausted, for on the following day his body was discovered. The spot where it was found is still pointed out by the dwellers in the hamlet. In March of the present year a young man named James Hampson, a native of the North of England, perished in the snow near Black Tor, on Walkhampton Common. He was making his way over Dartmoor with some companions in .search of work, and, straying away from them in the blinding storm, sank down and died. He was buried at Princetown, amid every mark of sympathy from the inhabitants with the mourners and friends of the unfortunate man, who camo to the little Moorland town to follow him to the grave. The storm was the fiercest that had been known for several years. Princetown was without post-office or telegraphic communication for a day. and until a -now plough was sent up from Plymouth, no trains could pass over the line. *Carrington: "The Sailor's Fate," 100 . A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. Several cases of drowning in the streams of the Moor are also related, and the Dart is popularly supposed to frequently claim a victim, a belief kept alive in the couplet : River of Dart, oh ! River of Dart, Every year thou claimest a heart. More than one grassy mound on the Moor marks the grave of a suicide. Among other places the romantic Lydford Gorge has been the scene of acts of self-destruction. By the side of the road on Holne Moor, and not very far from Cumston Tor, are some deep workings of the miners, now covered with grass and heather, and in which the quickbeam, or mountain ash, may be seen to flourish. One of these hollows is known as Hangman's Pit, from an unfortunate occurrence that took place there many years ago. A farmer of Round Hill, near Princetown, on his way home from Brent Fair, there hanged himself in consequence, it was supposed, of the mortification and chagrin at getting the worst of a bargain having temporarily affected his mind. He had exchanged his horse for another at the fair, and this, it was thought likely, had not proved to be so good an animal as he had imagined. There are those still living on the Moor who well remember the circumstance. Among fatalities that have been caused by lightning one occurred near Sheeps Tor that will be within the recollection of many. A storm came on while some men were at work in a hay-field, and one of them, with the idea of protecting himself, lifted a quantity of hay above his head with the steel fork he had been using. But instead of shielding him from that which he dreaded, the metal attracted the lightning, and with fatal results. A lamentable accident happened near Grim's Pound not a very long while after the road which runs close to it down the Challacombe Valley had been completed, which was in 1874. Previous to it<- being taken over by the parish it was claimed as a private road by its constructors though on the open ccmmon, and a gate was placed across it at a point where the rocks on each hand would prevent anyone from turning aside and driving past it. A farmer attempted to do this one evening, however, rather than turn back on finding the gate locked, with the consequence that his cart was overturned, and he was killed. Several stories are related of persons being engulfed in the mires, some of a tragic character, and others showing that there is sometimes a humorous side to such an adventure. It does not seem probable, however, that a Dartmoor mire has often proved of real service to a traveller. But that such was the case on one occasion is, nevertheless, a fact. The traveller was making the journey against his will; he was, in fact, a prisoner who was being conveyed from Tavistock to Exeter. It was in the days before railways were thought of — at least, in that part of the country, and the prisoner, who was handcuffed, was being driven over the Moor by a policeman. It happened that the man was very well acquainted with the Moor, and he had evidently thought out a plan of escape. On approaching a certain place where the road ran near a swamp, ho suddenly smashed his handcuffs on the tire of the wheel, and, leaping out of the cart, rushed towards the mire. The policeman pulled up and jumped out in pursuit: but, finding the mire to be dangerous, hesitated to follow his man. The latter seemed to know the spot well, for he made his way to the centre with apparent ease. Turning to the policeman, he said, "You can come in if you like. I know the way out, but you don't." The policeman waited for some time, but seeing he was not likely to secure his man without assistance, drove off to endeavour to obtain it. But if he ever got it, it was rendered too late, for the man escaped. Years after he returned to the neighbourhood, but the matter seemed to have been for- gotten, for he was never interfered with. The circumstance was related to us by one who was formerly acquainted with the man, whose offence was that of having committed an assault. Considerable destruction has at times been wrought by the storms and floods on the Moor, and of these the 19th century has witnessed many. On the 27th January, 1823, the Plym and the Mew, RIPPON TOR. DARTMEET BRIDGE. SOME NOTABLE OCCURRENCES. 103 or Meavy River, rose at night to an immense height, the combined torrents reaching to the keystone of Shaugh Bridge — not the present structure, but an older one which it has replaced. It is said, but this is probably an exaggeration, that so great was the volume of water in the Plym that the spray was flung over the Dewerstone, which rises to no inconsiderable height above the river. In November, 1824, a terrific storm was experienced, when so great was the force of the wind that some large stones on the summit of Brent Hill were carried to a considerable distance. On the 13th of May, 1839, and two following days, there was a sharp frost and heavy falls of snow on and around the Moor, the ground in many places being covered to a great depth. During the Christmas season of 1841 a tempest arose, the ravages of which on the western side of the Moor were said to be quite fearful. The little river Burn, which rises near where Lydford Station now is, and flows between Black Down and the Heathfield, so rapidly overflowed its banks that in half an hour the valley near the farm of "Wringworthy presented all the appearance of a lake. The house was inundated, and the cattle were only saved by the prompt exertions of the inhabitants. In 1873 a flood unfortunately swept away a clapper bridge that spanned the Blackabrook, a tributary of the West Dart. This bridge was near Fice's Well, a little edifice of 16th century erection, and which is situated in the tract of ground now belonging to the Prison, and lying north of the road between Rundle Stone Corner and Two Bridges. The bridge possessed a more than ordinary interest, inasmuch as it indicated the direction of an old track across this part of the Forest. A great flood on the 5th July, 1880, was particularly destructive. The Tavy rose higher than had been known within living n,emory, though ten years later the same river was to rise higher still. Hill Bridge, celebrated for its picturesque appearance and its romantic surroundings, and Mary Tavy Clam, no less renowned for similar reasons, were both washed away. The beautiful Tavy was turned into a roaring torrent, and the rocks and large boulders that fill its channel, and which the stream at ordinary times partially hides in its amber waters, or shrouds in sheets of foam, were buried deep beneath the turbulent flood. The great thunderstorm of the 17th July, 1890, will not soon be forgotten, particularly on the western side of Dartmoor, where the streams rose to an immense height. The Cowsic, which runs into the West Dart immediately above Two Bridges, commenced to rbe at half-past seven in the morning, and by eight o'clock the flood was at its height. It is said that the united stream rose nine and a half feet in that time, and it fell again with remarkable rapidity, for by half- past eight it had abated considerably. The long clapper under Bair Down was unfortunately washed away, but has since been re-erected ; Bair Down Bridge was also destroyed, and a new structure now spans the stream. Much damage was also caused by the rise of the Walkham, a portion of Merivale Bridge being carried away, and Ward Bridge, further down the river, widely celebrated for its picturesqueness, was entirely demolished. The waters of the Tavy were not less destructive. Mary Tavy Clam was carried away a second time, and one of the arches of Harford Bridge, lower down, was also swept into the stream. Considerable damage was caused at Tavistock, where the Guildhall-square was flooded, and the canal weir washed away. A prisoner who was confined in a cell at the police station in the square at the time, was rescued with difficulty. A spectator, who happened to be looking towards Stannon and Lynch Down from the neighbourhood of Peter Tavy, said the water seemed to him to burst suddenly forth from the sides of those hills, and so strange was the appearance that it looked as though the eminences themselves were crumbling away. No flood like it was remembered in the neighbourhood. Water poured down the slopes of the Moor, and every brook was turned into a swift torrent, and with a rapidity that was amazing. Although the storm was general all over the Moor, and every one of the rivers were more or K 104 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. less swollen, in no other part of it was there such a rainfall as over the watersheds of the streams above named — the Cowsic, the Walkham, and the Tavy. In the early part of 1880, and again in 1881, there were very heavy falls of snow on Dartmoor, and access to many of the farms was rendered impossible for days together. The winter of 1885-6 was also a very hard one, and the ponies suffered terribly. During the spring of 1886 we saw a number of carcases of these animals on the Moor; there have been few years in which the severity of the weather has occasioned so great a loss. Unfortunately many of these animals are kept by persons who have no land in the " in-country," and thus being unable to drive them to a place of shelter, it not infrequently happens that they are left to suffer from the fury of the storm, and when the herbage is covered with snow for any length of time, to starve. Hardy though the Dartmoor pony may be, there are certain times in the depth of winter when it would be but humane for the owners to gather them in, for when the storm does not give sufficient warning to enable this to be done, it could generally be accomplished when the snow is down. From the point of view of self-interest this would be wise, but the higher motive should never be wanting. But, perhaps, the period that will be the longest remembered for its severity, comparatively brief in duration though it was, is that of March, 1891, when the Blizzard wrought isuch havoc throughout the Westcountry. Though the fall of snow was not so great as that of ten years previous, it was accompanied by such a violent wind as to cause the drifts to be much deeper, and was thus rendered far more destructive in its effects. The storm commenced on Monday evening, the 9th March, and continued with unabated fury duriiij; the whole of the night, and was scarcely less severe through the following day. The hill tops and the sides exposed to the full fury of the blast were for the most part only whitened, the wind whirling the snow away as it fell, so great was its force. Soon after daylight on the Tuesday morning we commenced the ascent of Brent Hill in search of an animal which had strayed. During the first hour or so we had to dig our way through the snow, which was in many places from eight to ten feet in depth, but on nearing the shoulder of the hill, which was swept by the wind, we found this to be much less. On reaching the summit, to which we had been attracted by the sight of some ponies, the grass was visible, the ground being merely dusted, as it were, with the snow, which during the whole time had been driving full in our face from the north-east. Had it been clear, the view, from an elevation of over a thousand feet, would have been a grand one ; but so thick Avas the air with the falling snow that it was impossible to see more than a few yards around. About two hours were occupied in the ascent, which ordinarily would take loss than one-fourth of that time. On descending the opposite side of the hill, which was in a measure screened from the wind, we found the snow to be deep from near the summit downward. At Princetown considerable damage was done, and the inhabitants were without any communication with the outside world during the whole of the week, though this was an experience shared with very many other places in South Devon. The train that left that place about half-past six on the Monday evening was snowed up at Egworthy siding, after having proceeded only a few miles on its journey. The half-dozen passengers who travelled by it were compelled to spend that night and the following one in their carriage, it not being possible to rescue them until the Wednesday morning, though the guard, driver, and fireman left the train, and made thtir way to Dousland through the snow on the Tuesday. Had the party been aware of their proximity to Horseyeat Farm, their imprisonment might have been of much shorter duration ; but though they were only a little over two hundred yards SOME NOTABLE OCCURRENCES. 105 from the house, the weather prevented their seeing it, or the farmer from noticing the train. On the Wednesday he was observed by them, and on being signalled to promptly conducted them to his farm. The only food they tasted during their thirty-sis hours' confinement in the train was some which three packers brought to them from Dousland on the Tuesday afternoon. The line wa9 not cleared until the 18th March. Many of the snowdrifts got very compact, and it was a considerable time before they melted. One across the East Dart, below Post Bridge, became so hard that people were able to cross the river by means of it. So long as six weeks afterwards we found snow in Cranmere Pool, and also to some depth in Black Lane, in the south quarter of the Forest. Great inconvenience was experienced at Plymouth in consequence of the leat being choked with the snow, and numbers of men were employed throughout the week in the task of clearing it. The rare phenomenon of the ammil is sometimes witnessed on Dartmoor, and presents one of the most beautiful sights that can be imagined. Every object exposed to the air, however minute, is enclosed in a casing of ice — is enamelled, as it were ; and it is indeed this, as Mr. John Shelly has pointed out, that the name of this singular appearance signifies, the word, he says, being evidently " annuel," the old English term for enamel. In the fifth volume of the Transactions of the Plymouth Institution is an interesting paper by the late Mr. John Nicholas Bennet, of Archerton, describing an occurrence of the ammil in January, 1868. It was observed over the whole of Dartmoor, and continued for two nights and two days. In the earlier part of the 19th century gipsies appear to have frequented the Moor to a much greater extent than at present, although they may still be occasionally seen encamped on its borders. Miss Rachel Evans, writing in 1846, refers to a tribe which once made the Moor their home in summer, the winters being passed at Moretonhampstead ; and she mentions one individual, known as " Blue Jenny, of the gipsy tribe," who was condemned to death for stealing a horse whose owner was connected with the prison. She also states that encampments of that wandering people were often to be seen on the Moor. Ten years later Mr. R. J. King says that a tribe had for a long period established itself on the Moor, the favourite place of sojourn during summer being Dartmeet, and when the winter came this was exchanged for the villages on the borders. Perhaps the event which caused as much excitement and stir among the Moor folk as any other during the 19th century was the holding in their midst of the autumn military manoeuvres in 1873. For the first time in its history a very large number of troops were massed on the Moor, and soli- tudes Avhose silence had been broken by little else than the chorus of hounds or the "cry" of the river, now echoed to the rattle of musketry and the roar of cannon, or to the stirring strains of military music. But the old Moor was in r.o mood to have its quietness thus disturbed, and gave its martial visitors a very poor reception, which if it did not damp their ardour, certainly did their clothes. The proceedings were greatly interfered with by the rains, but on the concluding day — that of the march- past on Buckland Down — the weather was beautiful, and the Moor no longer looked forbidding, but smiled as though with delight at being rid of those who had broken in upon its repose. His Maj< sty was present at the march-past, which took place on the 22nd August. Other recent event- that Dartmoor has witnessed are the Jubilee celebrations of 1887 and 1897, ■a In n on not a few of the ancient hills were once more kindled the beacon fires; and the cere- mony on the completion of the Burrator Reservoir, in September, 1898. The undertaking by Sir Francis Drake, which Mr. Whitfeld in his recent delightful book characterises as probably the I example ol kill of the 16th century, was fittingly crowned on that day by the accomplishment of tin most important work on Dartmoor in the 19th. XI. — The Literature of a Wild and Wondrous Region. EARLY WRITERS-CARRINGTON'S POEMS-MRS. BRAY'S LETTERS- ROWES PERAMBULATION- UNINFORMED AUTHORS - ILL - EQUIPPED TOPOGRAPHERS - FAULTY GUIDE - BOOKS - RICHARD JOHN KING-REV. J. P. JONES-REV. E. W. L. DAVIES-" TICKLER "-WAR PRISON LITERATURE-SPENCE BATE-G. W. ORMEROD ROBERT DYMOND-R. N. WORTH- ROBERT BURNARD-DARTMOOR IN FICTION-A BIBLIOGRAPHY SUGGESTED. Of brawling streani6 and breezy heights they tell, And tors that lift their heads again6t the sky ; Of cairns where long-forgotten heroes lie, Of rock and fen, of furze and heathery dell. DEVONIA'S DESERT. Since the time when Carrington wrote of Dartmoor as a wild and wondrous region, a mysterious and untrodden land, it has forced its claims upon the attention of many, and the antiquary, the student of local history, and the lover of Nature are agreed that they cannot afford to neglect it. Though little other than barren in an agricultural sense, it is by no means so in all; on the con- trary, it is found to be fruitful of much. Distinct in most of its characteristics, natural and other- wise, and with conditions vastly different from the rest of the county, it is still no hermit region. The railway has been carried into its capital, good roads cross it, many of the conveniences of life are to be found in its settlements, and what is perhaps not the least interesting, this wild land which in the first half of the 19th century could be referred to as almost unknown, now possesses a literature, and that far from being scant. Though this cannot be said to be entirely a creation of the century, it is so in a great measure, for at its commencement there had been very little written about the Moor; and, indeed, books and papers relating to it were not numerous even fifty years later. THE LITERATURE OF A WILD AND WONDROUS REGION. 107 There were references to Dartmoor in Camden and Prince, and other historical and topo- graphical writers, and very brief accounts of it in Risdon end Westcote. But the editions of Risdon were incomplete, being those issued by the noted Curll and other piratical publishers, from 1714 to 1733, while Westcote's "View of Devonshire" existed only in manuscript. Two tracts in quarto, printed in London, in 1638, gave an account of the great thunderstorm at Widecombe in the same year, and there were also lines descriptive of that piace, which are attributed to the Rev. George Lyde. In addition there were verses on Lydford by William Browne, the author of " Britannia's Pastorals," which shed some light on the state of that town and its castle in the time of the civil wars. Various enactments of the tinners at their parliaments on Crockern Tor had been set forth by Pearce in his work on " The Laws and Customs of the Stannaries," published in 1725, and the antiquities of the Moor and its borderland had received some attention from Chappie and Polwhele. The first -named wrote a " Description and Exegesis of the Drewsteignton Cromlech," in 1779, which, however, was left unfinished and is without a title-page, and the latter in his " Historical Views of Devonshire," 1793, and afterwards in his history of the county, described a number of stone remains on the Moor. Polwhele was indeed the first to give to these monuments an extended notice, and may be regarded as the earliest Dartmoor antiquary. Though his conclusions respecting their uses are contrary to those now generally accepted, his descriptions of them are none the less interesting, and all who have made a study of the archa?ology of the Moor will feel indebted to him for his investiga- tions conducted at a time when research was far more difficult than it is now. In addition, there were Fraser 3 s notice of the agricultural capabilities of Dartmoor in his " General View of the County of Devon," issued in 1794, and the article by Laskey, descriptive of a ramble on the Moor, and one or two others. These writings, which, it will be seen, consisted mainly of works in which brief notices of the Moorland region were incidental, with the addition, as already stated, of some few references to it in the pages of various authors, constituted the litera- ture of Dartmoor when the century opened. As the books were, with scarcely an exception, difficult of access, it is not to be wondered at that the Moor was then unknown, except to a few, and justified the description of Carrington, as in his youth he looked upon its belt of distant hills. During the first quarter of the nineteenth century the growth of Dartmoor literature was but -low, for between 1800 and 1825 the books and pamphlets written on subjects connected with the Moor might be counted on one's fingers. The second quarter showed a slight increase in the number, yet by 1850 there did not exist more than about one-tenth of the number of books and articles that have been written since that time. But while this was so, to the period between 1825 and 1850 belongs the honour of having produced the most important books in the whole range of the literature of the Moor. Carrington's poem, with its valuable preface by Burt, the letters of Mrs. Bray to Southey, containing extracts from tin' Rev. E. A. Bray's journal, and the "Perambulation" of the Rev. Samuel Rowe, all saw the light during that time. From 1850 to 1875 the number of publications was over sixty, owing, in a great measure to the increase of papers on Dartmoor subjects read before the members of various societies, and issued in their journals. From the same cause a still further growth has been wit- nessed during the past quarter of a century, the number of books, articles, and papers having more than doubled that of the preceding 25 years. But it is not on account of its fulness that tho-e who take an interest in the literature of Dart- moor have reason to be proud, but rather that it includes several works of far more than ordinary merit. Indeed, nol .i tew of the books of which the Moor has furnished the theme are, from the want of a proper knowledge of it on the part of their writers, so disfigured with mistakes as almost to 108 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. make one wish they had not been -written at all. It would appear as though a slight acquaintance with the Moor had been so inspiring as to fill these authors with so strong a desire to describe its beauties that they have not stayed to ask themselves whether their very superficial knowledge of the district justified them in making the attempt. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread/' and there are those who have made some study of the history and topography of Dartmoor who would yet hesitate before undertaking such a ta--k as others, with no qualifications of the kind, have entered light-heartedly upon. Like Cottle, who could write a poem on Dartmoor and yet tell us in it that he had traversed it but twice, or Mrs. Hemans, who accomplished a similar feat without, it is supposed, ever having seen the Moor at all, they appear not to deem a full acquaintance necessary to their purpose. And what is the result, as shown in more than one book professing to describe the Moor — to be a guide to the stranger? The descriptions are found to be so bare, and the guidance so faulty when put to the test, that the reader soon loses confidence in his author, and cannot but regard him as a blind leader. This is unfortunate, but the Dartmoor book-collector who possesses a know- ledge of the country his authors deal with will know that it is true. Some of the errors of these ill-equipped topograhpers are most deplorable, and evince not only their lack of acquaintance with the district, but an utter want of care as well. Among the earlier writers mistakes are much less frequent, though it is scarcely to be expected that they should be wholly free from them. In the notes to Cottle's poem, published in 1823, there are, in fact, a number, and one of a vexy glaring kind. As the reader is directed to the first volume of the " Arch?eologia" in the note containing the error referred to, the substance of it would seem to have been extracted from that journal. However that may be, there was gross carelessness somewhere. The note states that several towers somewhat similar to the round towers of Ireland, were then to be seen on Dartmoor. Now, it is certain that nothing of the kind ever existed there, and were it not that the word "tor" is not dissimilar to ''tower" one would b-3 at a loss to imagine how such an idea could have originated. Glaring as this may seem, many of the mistakes of more recent writers are not less so. Thus a hill has been transformed into a tree in the case of Watern Oke, an extensive tract to the south of Amicombe Hill, the similarity of sound between the second part of the name and that of the monarch of the forest having given rise to the error. A- showing how such may be perpetuated by those who will not search for themselves, we find .. writer telling us in 1889 of the existence of this mythical tree, " which," he says, " has been so often hailed with delight by the Moorman lost in a fog !" The book in which this appears having been acknowledged by the compiler of a very recent hand-book as the storehouse from which she drew much information we may be sure the latter is not a model of correctness. By such writing is great confusion created, it being so difficult to overtake the rolling snowball or the three black crow 5. The actual number of books, large and small, on Dartmoor subjects does not exceed forty, the bulk of its literature being made up of papers printed in the Transactions of the Devon- shire A^oc-iation, the Plymouth Institution, and other kindred societies, and of magazine articles. The subject which appears to be the favourite one is that of the antiquities of the Moor, the papers on which far outnumber those on any other. Topographical works and articles come next, and following these books and papers of a general character. The geology of the Moor is discussed by about a dozen writers, while the prison has formed the subject for nearly as many. To these succeed books and articles on the stannaries and mining, on Dartmoor history, poems, not including the large number of fugitive pieces, and papers on ecclesiastical matters. A few others treat of such subjects as botany, natural phenomena, legendary lore, agricul- tural improremen', the preservation of Dartmoor, the railway, and so on, and there are also THE LITERATURE OF A WILD AND WONDROUS REGION. 109 several guide-books to the district. But among this voluminous literature there is only one book of an authoritative character dealing with the Moor as a whole — the excellent " Perambulation " of the Rev. Samuel Rowe — though this is far from being exhaustive. Earliest among those who wrote upon Dartmoor in the present century was one whose name has been seldom heard in connection with it. This was Mr. John Taylor, of Holwell, in the parish of Whitchurch, an eminent mining engineer, who, according to Davidson, wrote the account of Dartmoor in the Additions to Risdon's " Survey of Devon," which supplement the edition of 1811, as well as the introductory remarks to that volume. This account, though brief, is of considerable value, particu- larly as giving us an insight into matters in the neighbourhood of Princetown at the time when prisoners of war were confined there, and shows much knowledge of the Moor on the part of the author. The climate, soil, and agricultural capabilities are touched upon among other matters, and also the stannaries and the war prison. The next in order to give us an account of Dartmoor was Mr. W. Burt, secretary of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, whose admirable preface and notes to the first edition of Carring- ton's poems, published in 1826, exhibit a great amount of research, and continued to be the best historical record of the Moor until the publication by the Dartmoor Preservation Association of the numerous documents brought to their notice in Mr. Stuart A. Moore's Report. Mr. Burt's account, which extends over 74 pages of the preface to Carrington, though not in the nature of an introduction to the poem, is yet most valuable, and conveys to the readers of the latter much information regarding the region of which Carrington sings. In the notes of one hundred pages at the end of the volume Mr. Burt has dealt with much of the topography of the Moor, and has noticed many of its antiquities. As the first extended account of Dartmoor it will always remain a monument to the ability of the author. It was Mr. Burt who suggested to Carrington the writing of the poem on Dartmoor. Some few vcars before its appearance, which was in 1826, the Royal Society offered a prize of fifty guineas for the best poem on that subject, and this was adjudged to Mrs. Hemans. Carring- ton's, however, was not one of those submitted for competition, but a comparison with that of Mrs. Hemans', or with Cottle's which was rejected by the committee of examiners, will speedily reveal that if a true description of the Moor was to count for anything he would, had he competed, cer- tainly not have been found wanting in that direction. Mrs. Hemans and Cottle exhibit no knowledge of the Moor but what might have been gained by reading. Their descriptions are couched in general terms, and would apply nearly to any moun- tainous region. But it is impossible to read Carrington without feeling that the picture he is drawing is no creation of the fancy, but one with which he is familiar, and which is indelibly imprinted on his mind. Yet there are passages which show that his soul is not altogether with the vast solitudes of the Moor. He sighs for the green fields and shady vales ; and it is evident that he would have turned his back upon the Moor to wander amid those without regret. He loved the great wild waste, but he loved the pastures and the woods of the lowlands more. That in his song he should express a hope that the time would come when the silent waste should be clothed with sward, that cots should dot its -lopes, and trees bend over fields of waving corn, would be a tonishing, and cause one to doubt whether he really breathed the spirit of true poetrv did we not remember his taste tor beauties of another kind than the grim old Moor can -1 i iv, and that he lived in a time when a rage for cultivating every open spot filled the minds of men. The same bbini-h occurs in Cottle's lines, and is probably to be attributed to the latter cause. One writer has rather unkimllv eat a doubt upon Carrington's right to rank as a poet, and styles 110 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. his lines "sadly clumsy and affected blank verses." But as in the same sentence he accuses Carrington of a mistake he never committed, it is evident he is not too careful a critic ; and, after all, his remarks only prove, if proof were needed, that an appreciation of the beauties of pcetry does not belong to all. There is no affectation in Carrington's verse ; it is the natural outpouring of the man's feelings, and his word painting gives a true picture of what he saw. We may lament the expression of certain of his hopes, and feel that they intrude, and could wish his muse had here been silent, but we cannot deny him a place as a poet. The similarity in style between Carrington's "Dartmoor" and Thomson's "Seasons" has often been remarked upon. That he took the latter for his model there appears to be no doubt, but he has never been accused of having imitated him. Many of the reviewers of Carrington deplored the fact that he had no patron. Those who admire the man and his writings will to-day rejoice to think that he was never unfortunate enough to find one. Carrington earned for himself a name inseparable from Dartmoor, and he who loves that region will feel proud that arcund its tor-crested hills there clings the memory of so sweet a poet. "When the first half of the nineteenth century had nearly expired, the literature of Dartmoor was enriched by the appearance of the work of the Rev. Samuel Rowe. In 1828 Mr. Rowe read an essay before the members of the Plymouth Institution, afterwards published in the first volume of the Transactions of that body, on antiquarian investigations on Dartmoor, and the researches of which it was the fruit were afterwards conducted at intervals. Consequently it became possible to very considerably expand the original essay, and the result was the publication in 1848 of the "Perambulation of the Antient and Royal Forest of Dart- moor," a book which has been recognised as one of the finest topographical works in the English language. Though by no means exhaustive, it yet deals with all that is most important on the Moor, and the information it contains is conveyed in so delightful a manner as to compensate in a great measure for its want of fulness. Its correctness is a strong point: it is quite refreshing when followino; the stumblings of some who have written on Dartmoor to turn to the " Peram- bulation," and to feel one is standing once more on safe ground. With its Druidic theories it is, of course, now impossible to agree, but in this the author only held a belief in common with all the writers on Dartmoor, from Polwhele up to, and after, his time, and they do not render his descriptions less correct. The book, as its title would imply, is written in the form of a perambulation of the Moor, and the starting point chosen is Cosdon, the same whence the old perambulators set out to view the bounds of the Forest. The line that they followed is departed from as occasion arises, in order to conduct the reader to various places of interest, and in this manner he is led around the Moor. A second edition of the book was publishel in 1856, but, like the first, was soon exhausted, and copies of either are now scarce. A few years ago a new edition was prepared, containing many additions, by Mr. J. Brooking Rowe, a nephew of the author, and issued in 1896. It is most admirably done, and shows a great amount of care on the part of the editor. The "Perambulation" is the only thing of its kind in the whole range of Dartmoor literature, for while the latter includes several works of value, they deal with certain subjects only, and with the exception of the guide-books and one other which is mainly a compilation, do not aim at describing the whole Moor. No work on the Moor has yet been written, by an authority, with such a scope as the truly valuable one by the Rev. Samuel Rowe. The book referred to as being a compilation is the " Exploration of Dartmoor," by Mr. Page, which, written in a pleasing style, and from the very nature of its subject interesting, makes no pretensions, beyond what its title would lead us to suppose, of being authoritative. The FIXGLE BRIDGE. VICARAGE BRIDGE, CORNWOOD. THE LITERATURE OF A WILD AND WONDROUS REGION. 113 works of previous authors have saved the writer of it many hundreds of miles of Moorland wanderings, and have enabled him to conduct a great part of his investigations in his study ; hence it can hardly fairly be called an exploration. The latter would have revealed to its author a very large number of interesting objects previously undescribed, of which he apparently knows nothing. The guide-books to the Moor are most of them interesting, and give fairly good general descriptions of the district, with notices of the scenery and principal groups of antiquities ; but none of them can be said to be really what their designation would imply. The visitor is told what he should see or something of it, and the localities of the most noteworthy objects are indicated and a brief description of them given, but precisely how he should reach them he is not informed. He has to find a way for himself, perhaps by floundering over a couple of miles of bog, which, if he had been directed aright, he might have avoided, and have arrived at the desired point by a good path. For instance, what gniide-book can be named that tells, except in the vaguest manner, how to get to Cranmere Pool, the one spot beyond all others that the explorer of the Moor is anxious to visit ? They all unite in placing it in a dreary part of the Moor in the midst of bogs, but they fail to tell the stranger what he principally wants to know — how these may best be crossed. In the latest guide, although its writer refers to the lack in such publications of practical details for finding the way to the various places, there are yet no proper directions furnished for reaching the Pool. All that is done is to give an account of how its author tried to discover it, and would presumably have failed had not a companion, after a search, found the Pool and then nearly lost himself. We are not told anything about the way further than that a southward course was followed from Watern Tor, which, by the way, was altogether wrong. Such instances are, however, only too common , a " guide " to Dartmoor, in its truest sense, does not exist. From a literary point of view there is little to complain of in any of them, hut they are, without exception, full of mistakes. One of the most graceful among the writers on Dartmoor, and one who has left us much that is valuable, was Richard John King, who, even if he had contributed nothing more to its literature than the fine poem of " The Forest of the Dartmoors," would have greatly enriched it The student of Dartmoor history, and the antiquary, is indebted to him in no slight degree, for there are none of his writings that do not tend to throw a flood of light upon points hitherto obscure. In 1856 a small book from his pen appeared, and none who read it but will regret that it is so brief. In the preface, which is in the form of a letter to Colonel Hamilton Smith, Mr. King explains that his pages were written as the first two chapters of a book he had commenced some years previously, in which it was proposed to trace the history of Devonshire from the British period to our own time, but that the plan was early abandoned. The first chapter deals with the .Moor, and the second with the castles in the surrounding country, the title of the book being "The Forest of Dartmoor and its Borders." Mr. King also contributed articles on the Moor to the "Quarterly Review" and the " Fortnightly Review," and some of his poems appeared in " Fraser's Magazine." The Rev. J. P. Jones, curate of North Bovey, and no mean authority on many matters per- taining to the Mcor, issued in 1823 "A Guide to the Scenery in the Neighbourhood of Ashburton," and in the same year "Observations on the Scenery and Antiquities of the Neighbourhood of Moretonhampstead, and on the Forest of Dartmoor," and these are both of considerable interest. Miss Sophie Dixon followed in 1830 with two smaller works, each being journals of excursions on the borders of Dartmoor. This writer's descriptions are very correct, and plainly show her great 114 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. love for the Moor. She also wrote several excellent poems on various Dartmoor subjects, which are found in her "Castalian Hours," published in the preceding year. Mrs. Brav, in the well-known letters to Southey on the Tamar and Tavy, has done good service in preserving many bits of Moorland history and legendary lore, and also in giving us, in the same work, the extracts from her husband's journal before referred to. Not a little that is descriptive of the borders of "Western Dartmoor is contained in Miss Rachel Evans' ' Home Scenes," a truly delightful book, issued in 1846. In 1859 Dr. Croker published " A Guide to the Eastern Escarpment of Dartmoor," and he also wrote a pamphlet, published at Chudleigh and undated, entitled " Dartmoor : Its History and Antiquities." The first-named and also the two by the Rev. J. P. Jones, though styled " guides," have nothing in common with the modern guide-book. The poem of " Dartmoor Days ; or, Scenes in the Forest," by the Rev. E. W. L. Davies, is interesting, and introduces not only many of the gallant sportsmen of Devonshire of a former generation, but others in humbler walks of life well known on the Moor. Many passages of the poem, descriptive of the chase, are very stirring, and for those who know the district and can in imagination follow the hounds from place to place as these are named possess a special attraction. In the second part occurs the song, R The Rugged Dartmoor," which has been quoted by several writers on the old Moor. Perhaps one of the most interesting little books that have been written on the Moorland region is that of Mr. E. Tozer, who, under the nom de plume of " Tickler," wrote a series of pleasant "Devonshire Sketches." These appeared first in the columns of a journal, and were afterwards reprinted, one portion of them forming the book in question, to which was given the title "Dart- moor and Its Borders." The articles principally embrace descriptions of places in the eastern part of the Moor and its confines, but there is one that deals briefly with Princetown and its neigh- bourhood. Nor should mention be omitted of the interesting articles of Mr. J. D. Prickman, well known as a lover of the Moor ; nor of the little book, containing much of value, by the Rev. E. Spencer, " A Few Remarks on Dartmoor." We would also name the "Dartmoor Sketches" of Mrs. Prior, a pamphlet bearing the initials "A.Z.," full of information conveyed in a pleasing manner. Of the books having for their subject the Prison at Princetown, the chief are those of Charles Andrews and M. L. Catel. The first, which was published at New York in 1815, and is entitled " The Prisoner's Memoirs ; or, Dartmoor Prison," contains an account of the American prisoners detained on the Moor, and also of their revolt in April, 1815, when several were killed. M. Catel's book, "La Prison de Dartmoor," is, according to Davidson, "an absurd mixture of narrative, personal adventure, and the most improbable fiction." It is in two volumes, and was published in 1847 in Paris. Captain Vernon Harris, sometime governor of the Prison, wrote about 1880 an account of it, which he has called "Dartmoor Prison, Past and Present." The book is illustrated with photo- graphs and contains much information respecting the old war prison and the modern convict depot. Articles on the Prison have also appeared in the "Democratic Review," "Fraser's Magazine," " Temple Bar," and other publications. The principal writers who have contributed papers on Dartmoor subjects to the journals of various societies are C. Spence Bate, G. W. Ormerod, Robert Dymond, W. F. Collier, Francis Brent, R. N. Worth, R. H. Worth, Robert Burnard, and Dr. A. B. Prowse. Many of these papers have been the means of adding considerably to the store of facts regarding the history and antiqui- ties of the Moor, and also much respecting its geology. Among Mr. C. Spence Bate's papers may be mentioned those on Prehistoric Dartmoor, on Grim's Pound, on the Etymology of Dartmoor Names, the old map of the Moor, and on some ancient THE LITERATURE OF A WILD AND WONDROUS REGION. 115 tumuli. Mr. Ormerod has written a good deal on the stone remains in the neighbourhood of Chag- ford, on rock basins, hut circles, tin streaming, Grim's Pound, wayside crosses, and Chagford history. Several of the papers were reprinted and issued in book form under the title " Archae- ology of Eastern Dartmoor. Mr. Robert Dymond's paper on historical documents relating to Dartmoor is particularly valuable, while the book on Widecombe, which he edited, contains much 'nformation relating to that Moorland parish of a most interesting character. It was issued in 1876, and was the expansion of a publication of a year earlier. This was a sheet sold at a bazaar at Torquay in aid of the funds for restoring the parish church of Widecombe. It was in the form of a news- paper, and bore the title, " Widecombe Chronicle and Dartmoor Gazette." The papers by the other writers named include such subjects as the Duchy of Cornwall on Dartmoor, Flint Implements, Lydford Castle, The Druids, Antiquities near White Tor, Taw Marsh, the Plym and the Erme, the Great Central Trackway, and the Antiquity of Mining. Mr. R. H. Worth's papers on some of the streams of the western side of the Moor and the remains on their banks are especially noticeable, and are the result of much careful investigation. Mr. Robert Burnard has also devoted a great deal of attention to the antiquities of the Moor, and, among other subjects, has written several papers on the mining remains. His " Dartmoor Pictorial Records," consisting of reproductions of his own photographs, with accompanying descrip- tions, are most accurately done. All Mr. Burnard's work is characterised by a thoroughness and care that is most gratifying to notice. Among the journals, other than those already named, in which articles relating to the Moor are to be found, we may mention those of the British Archaeological Association, the Anthropo- logical Institute, the Geological Society, Society of Antiquaries, Cornwall Polytechnic Society, Exeter Naturalists' Society, and the Torquay Natural History Society, though these are by no means all. Articles are likewise to be found in the reviews. Dartmoor also figures to no slight extent in fiction, many authors since the time of Mrs. Bray, who led the way in that direction, having laid the scenes of their stories in and around the Moor. The Rev. S. Baring-Gould, who has lately made an addition to the literature of the Moor by the publication of his " Book of Dartmoor," is one among those who have done this. A French author, M. Jules Poulain, has also given us a story in which Dartmoor figures. It is called "Les Deux Sceurs," and was published in Paris in 1852. From the descriptions of certain places on the Moor it is evident either that the author had some acquaintance with it, or that he gathered his informa- tion from someone to whom the region was well known. What, perhaps, renders many of the books and papers on Dartmoor of less value than they might have been is the amount of speculation indulged in by their writers on the uses of the various objects of antiquity on the Moor. Had the space been given over to a record of facts instead of being employed to advance theories more good would have resulted. Yet it is impossible, in looking over a catalogue of Dartmoor books, not to feel that valuable work has been done. And this still continues, and will continue, for Dartmoor can never cease to furnish a variety of themes that shall prove attractive. A bibliography of Dartmoor would be most interesting, and if carried out on the plan of the " Bibliotheca Cornubiensis " of Messrs. Boase and Courtenay would be a step towards the desirable work advocated by Mr. W. H. K. Wright, of providing Devonshire with a similar book. A list of a few titles of Dartmoor publications appeared in the third volume of the "Western Antiquary,' and Mr. J. Brooking Rowe, in the new edition of the "Perambulation," has given a very ex- tensive list, which comprises every book, pamphlet, or paper of any importance on the subject. " Of making many books there is. no end." And as certain as the rivers will ever roll down from the hills of the old Moor, so sure it is that men will continue to add to its records. Of what 116 A HUNDRED YEARS ON DARTMOOR. value would these be could but the rocks tell us their whole story, or the winds that sweep over the heather-grown slopes, where the stone circle stands solitary, whisper a tale of old time so that we could set it down. But man has striven, still strives, to make the desert break its silence and to unlock its secrets. And little by little the light is being let in, and as a fact is gathered here and another there, so are they written down, and men prize the record. The poet, the local historian, the archaeologist, and the writer who turns his gaze towards the realms of fancy have found work for their hands to do on Dartmoor, and shall continue to be its chroniclers, that those who love it shall read something of its story. APPENDIX APPENDIX. The .Tors, Hills, and Streams of the Moor. The letter N., S., E., or W. (North, South, East, West), following the name of a tor or hill, shows in which quarter of the Forest it is situated. When neither of those letters appear the tor is not in the Forest, but on one of the border Commons, the name of the parish in which the latter lies being inserted within brackets. The elevations of the more important are given in feet, and are according to the latest Ordnance survey. An alphabetical arrangement has been followed, and the names of the hills are given in a separate list from those of the tors, such plan being deemed more convenient for reference. The streams are arranged in the same manner so far as regards the chief rivers. Tributaries, however, are named in the order in which they flow into the rivers, except when they do not unite with them until after leaving the Mcor. In the latter case they are classed with the principal rivers. All that possess names are enumerated, but many of the smaller brooks on Dartmoor do not bear any. THE TORS. Aish Tor (Widecombe). — A small pile near the hamlet of Pound's Gate. Arch Tor, E. — A very small tor on the slope above Archerton, in the vicinity of Post Bridge. Arms Tor (Lydford), 1,4-11.— In the neighbourhood of Bridesto-we ; not far from the source of the Lyd. Ashbury Tor (Okehampton). — At the eastern end of that part of the Common known as Okehampton Park; beautifully placed above the wooded slopes of Halstock Cleave and Belstone West Cleave, and the Moor Brook and East Ockment. Bag Tor (Ilsington). — On Bag Tor Down ; below it, on the verge of the Moor, is Bag Tor House, a mansion formerly in the possession of the Ford family, to which belonged John Ford, the dramatist. The parish register shows that he was baptised at Ilsington, the 12th April, 1586. Bagga Tor (Peter Tavy), 1,219. — On a small tributary of the Tavy called Bagga Tor Brook. Bairdown Tor, W., 1,681. — Crowns the ridge between the West Dart and the Cowsic, and north of Bairdown Farm. Beacox Rocks (Ugborough), 1,233. — On the southern verge of the Moor. A fine bold pile on a commanding height. Generally called Ugborough Beacon. Bel Tor (Widecombe), 1,208. — A small tor near the road from Pound's Gate to Dartmeet. On it are several curious hollows, formed by the action of the weather on the granite, which are known as rock-basins, and were formerly ascribed to the Druids. Such are found on many of the tors. Bel Tor (Widecombe), 1.319. — On the slope above the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor. Bellaford Tor, E., 1,4-56. — Always called Believer Tor by the Moormen. It is of fine proportions and a conspicuous feature in the view from many parts of the Forest. There are two rocking stones of the kind known as logans on the tor. Belstone Tor (Belstone), 1,568. — One of a range of fine tors crowning a ridge to the south of Belstone village, on the northern border of the Moor. On the west side of the ridge, and extending by the borders of Okehampton Common, is a rough wall, now partially ruined. This is known as the Irishman's Wall, and is said to have been erected by a native of the Emerald Isle, who imagined that among certain rights which he possessed was one enabling him to enclose the Commons against the Forest. The men of Belstone and Okehampton, however, convinced him to the contrary, for they met upon a given day and threw the greater part of the wall down. Such is the story related by the Moor people around Belstone, but there does not appear to be any documentary evidence to confirm it. Bench Tor (Holne). — Overlooking a deep ravine, through which flows the Dart; called by the Moormen Binjie Tor. Birch Tor (North Bovey). — Not far from the road leading from Post Bridge to Moretonhampstead, and in the neighbourhood of the Warren House Inn. Black Tor (Okehampton), 1,646. — Below Yes Tor, on its west side, and overlooking the gorge of the West Ockment. Beneath it, on the bank of the stream, is Black Tor Copse, an ancient oak wood, referred to in a document of the 29th Elizabeth as Blacketers Beare. Not far from the copse is the Island of Rocks, one of the gems of Dartmoor. Black Tor (Brent). — On the right bank of the Avon, a short distance above Shipley Bridge. Black Tor (Walkhampton). — Near the road from Princetcwn to Dowsland; to the eastward of it. Blackauon Tor (Widecombe). — On the verge of the Moor, near the little settlement of Leusdon. THE TORS, HILLS, AND STREAMS OF THE MOOR. 119 Black Alder Tor (Plympton St. Mary). — Above the left bank of the Torry, in the vicinity of the Lee Moor Clay Works. Bonehill Rocks (Widecombe), 1,277. — On Bonehill Down, on the east side of the Widecombe Valley. Boulters Tor (Peter Tavy), 1,000. — The eastern pile on the ridge of Smearn Down. Bra Tor (Lydford), 1,511. — Possibly a corruption of Broad Tor; on the Lyd, south of Arms Tor. On the summit is a granite cross erected by the late Mr. Widgery, the artist, in 1887, to commemorate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Broomedge Tor (Plympton St. Mary). — Usually called Brimage Tor; at .the northern end of Crown Hill Down, in the vicinity of the Clay Works. Brouzen Tor (Peter Tavy). — A small pile not far from Bagga Tor. Bcckland Beacon (Buckland-in-the-Moor), 1,282. — On the Common above the church of Buckland; in the immediate neighbourhood are the celebrated Buckland Drives, on the Dart. Callisham Tor (Meavy). — A small tor on Callisham Down, not far from the village of Meavy. Calves Lake Tor (claimed as being within the bounds of the parish of Shaugh, but in the south quarter of the Forest according to the Perambulation). — Not far from the head of the Plym, and on a little tributary of that river known as Calves Lake. Chat Tor (Lydford), 1,774.— On Rattle Brook Hill, above the western bank of the stream of that name — a tributary of the Tavy. Chinkwell Tor (Widecombe), 1,505.— A very fine tor at the northern end of Bonehill Down, east of the Valley of Widecombe. Cleave Tor (Belstone). — High above the right bank of the East Ockment and Belstone West Cleave. Opposite to it is Ashbury Tor and the entrance to Halstock Cleave. It is generally referred to as Cleave Rocks Click Tor (Sheepstor). — A small tor, not far from the Plym. Cocks Tor (Peter Tavy), 1,4-52. — A frontier height of trap rock, above the Tavistock and Princetown road, near where it enters the Moor. Collard Tor (Shaugh). — A small tor on Shaugh Moor, near the road leading from the Lee Moor Clay Works to Shaugh village. Combe, or Combeshead Tor (Walkhampton). — An exceedingly fine pile on the bank of the Narrator Brook, a stream which falls into the Mew north of Sheeps Tor. Combe Tor, Great (Peter Tavy). — On the southern side of Peter Tavy Combe. Combe Tor, Little (Peter Tavy). — A small tor on the northern side of the combe, and not very far from the bank of the stream which runs through it. Combestone Tor (Holne), 1,156. — Generally called Cumston Tor ; overlooks the valley of the Dart below Dartmeet. Conies' Down Tor, W., 1,668. — On Conies' Down, near the head of the Cowsic, a tributary of the West Dart, falling into that river under Bairdown Farm, near Two Bridges. Corndon Tor (Widecombe). — On the hill above the hamlet of Ponsworthy. Near it are some very fine jairns. Cramber Tor (Walkhampton), 1,426. — In the vicinity of Black Tor; to the eastward of the Princetown and Dowsland road. Crip Tor (Walkhampton). — Beside the Princetown Railway Crockern Tor, E., 1,295. — Although not of striking appearance, yet the most celebrated among the Dartmoor Tors, consequent upon its being the site of the ancient Stannary Court. Crow Tor, W., 1,646. — In the neighbourhood of Bairdown Tor, on the West Dart. Crowniiill Tor (Plympton St. Mary). — A small pile on Crownhill Down, not far from Broomedge Tor. Devil's Tor, W., 1,785. — A small tor in a remote part of the Moor, between the headwaters of the Cowsio and West Dart. Dinger Tor, N., 1,810. — On Dinger Plain; on the southern flank of High Willes. A small tor, con- sisting of a single mass of rock. Doe Tor (Lydford). — South of Bra Tor; between the Doe Tor Brook and the Wallabrook, both tributaries of the Lyd. Down Tor (Walkhampton), 1,201. — Above the left bank of the Newleycombe Lake, a tributary of the Mew. The granite on its summit lies upon patches of turf and heather, presenting a contrast to the piles of rocks usually seen composing the tors. Dcnnagoat, Higher (Lydford), 1,845. — Very near the head waters of the Rattle Brook. Dcnnagoat, Lower (Lydford), 1,832. — Close to the forme.-. East Tor (Sourton). — One of the piles rising above Sour t- in Church. Eastern Tor (Sheepstor). — On the right bank of the Plym, near Ditsworthy Warren House. Feather Tor (Whitchurch). — South of the road leading from Merivale Bridge to Tavistock. Fox Tor, S. — The only tor in the south quarter of the Forest. It is about three miles south-east of Princetown, and southward of an extensive morass known as Fox Tor Mire. At its northern foot is Sand Parks, the scene of tho traditionary story of Childe the Hunter, 120 APPENDIX. Frenchbeer Tor (Chagford).— Above the left, bank of the South Teign, and in the neighbourhood of Chagford village. Fur Tor, N., 1,877. — In a remote situation, near the head waters of the Tavy, and overlooking a wide valley formed by its slopes and those of Kneeset, Amicombe Hill, and Stannon. A fine pile ; the rocks rise to a great height above the turf. Ger Tor (Peter Tavy), 1.250.— A grand pile, on Nat T.ir Down; towering above the lower entrance to Tavy Cleave. Gidleigh Tor (Gidleigh). — More generally known as Princep's Folly. Crowned with the ruins of a house, which a Mr. Princep commenced to build, but never completed ; hence the name. The tor is within the bounds of Gidleigh Park, famous for its wild and romantic scenery. Grea Tor (Ilsington).— On Hey Tor Down; eastward of the valley of the Becky Brook. Grea Tor Rocks. — [See Leighon Tor.] Green Tor, N., 1,774.— On Amicombe Hill, at the head of a little feeder of the Rattle Brook. Gren Tor (Bridestowe and Sourton), 1,693. — On the hill, just below the springs of the Lyd; close to ihe peat railway. Gur, or Gutter Tor (Sheepstor). — At the north-eastern end of Ringmoor Down, and not far from Eastern Tor, on the Plym. Hall Tor (Harford). — On Burford Down, on the right bank of the Erme, a short distance above Harford Bridge. Sometimes called Tristis Rock. Hameidon Tor (Manaton). — At the northern extremity of Hameldon, a lofty ridge forming the western side of the Widecombe Valley. Hare Tor (Peter Tavy), 1,74-4-. — A beautiful tor, rising above the confluence of the Tavy and the Rattle Brook. Hare Tor (Peter Tavy). — A small tor on the side of the hill to the south-east of Wapsworthy. Hart Tor, N. — A small pile between the East Ockmeat and Black-a-ven Brook. Neighbourhood of Belstone. H.art Tor (Walkhampton). — Near Black Tor, vicinity of Princetown. The Hart Tor Brook is a feeder of the Mew, near its upper waters. Hart Tor, Higher (Sheepstor). — On the slope of Eylesbarrow, half a mile from Plym Steps and about a mile and a half from the source of that river. Hart Tor, Lower (Sheepstor). — Very near the former. Hartland Tor, E., 1,351. — On the left bank of the East Dart, a short distance above Post Bridge. Hawks' Tor (Shaugh). — On the hill to the east of the village of Shaugh. One of the rocks on the tor is supported in a curious manner, which has caused some to imagine that it was placed in its position by artificial means, and to regard it as a dolmen, or cromlech. Hawks' Tor appears as Hauektor in a thirteenth century deed, by which the Countess of Devon founded the Abbey of Buckland. Hayne Down Tors (Manaton). — Two tors about a mile from the village of Manaton, the well-known rock-pile of Bowerman's Nose forming part of one of them. They are placed on the summit of the down, and are connected by a trackline, or bank of stone and turf, and which by the Moor people are called reaves. Heckwood Tor (Whitchurch). — On the Common north of the church of Sampford Spiney. Hen Tor (Shaugh). — High above the left bank of the Plyin, opposite to Ditsworthy Warren House. The ruins of the habitation of a former settler are near it, and are known as Hen Tor House. Hey Tor (Ilsington), 1,491. — Perhaps the most striking tor on the Moor. Consists of two distinct masses of granite, with a stretch of turf between them. A very conspicuous object for many miles round. Higher Tor (Belstone). — One of the range running southward from Belstone village, and crowning the ridge between the East Ockment and the Taw. Hisworthy Tor, North, W. — Always called Hessary. One of the Forest bounds, and named as Ysfother in the Perambulation of 1240. A fine height, rising to the north-west of Princetown. Hisworthy Tor, South, W. — Another boundary mark of the Forest, about a mile and a half south-east of North Hisworthy. Usually called in the neighbourhood Look-out Tor. Hockinston Tor (Widecombe).— In the defile through which the Dart leaves the Moor; opposite to Bench Tor. Hollow Tor (Walkhampton). — To the northward of North Hisworthy Tor, a short distance without the line of the Forest boundary. Hollow Tor (Widecombe). — On the hill east of Widecombe village. Holwell Tor (Ilsington). — Not far from Grea Tor, above the eastern bank of the Becky Brook. Honeybag Tor (Widecombe). — A remarkably fine tor, at the upper end of the Valley of Widecombe. This tor, and Chinkwell and Bonehlll Rocks, form an imposing range above the east side of the vale, the steep slope of Hameldon rising on the other. Hookney Tor (North Bovey).— A small tor, a little to the northward of the well-known Grim's Pound. Hound Tor, N., 1,622. — On the Forest boundary line, nearly two miles southward of the summit of Coedon. Hound Tor (Manaton).— On the Down to the westward of the Becky Brook Valley. A grand cluster of rocks, towering to a great height. THE TORS, HILLS, AND STREAMS OF THE MOOR. 121 Huccaby Tor, E., 1,067. — A small tor, near the road leading from Dunnabridge Pound to Dartmeet. Hucken Tor (Walkhampton Common). — A small tor below King Tor, and not far from the Princetown Railway. Hunt Tor (Bridestowe and Sourton), 1,843. — Close to the source of the Rattle Brook. Inga Tor (Walkhampton). — The Princetown Railway passes at its foot. Ivy Tor (South Tawton).— On the bank of the Taw, under Cosdon ; not far from the village of Sticklepath. Kas Tor (Chagford), 1,433. — Usually called Kes Tor Rock. On it is a very large rock-basin. King Tor (North Bovey). — Eastward of Hookney Tor, vicinity of Grim's Pound. King Tor (Walkhampton). — A fine tor round which the Princetown Railway makes a very wide sweep to ascend by an easy gradient to the high level necessary to be gained in order to reach Princetown. King Tor, Little (Walkhampton). — A small pile near the former. Kitty Toe, N., 1,920. — On the northern part of Amicombe Hill. Leedon Tor (Walkhampton). — On the left of the road leading from Dousland to Princetown. A trackway runs near it. In 1888 a, spindle whorl was found there by Mr. Alexander, of the Convict Prison. Leggis Tor (Sheepstor). — On the right bank of the Piym, about a mile and a quarter above Cadaford Bridge. Leigh Tor (Widecombe). — Above the left bank of the Dart, near New Bridge, and not far from Pound's Gate. Leighon Tor (Manaton). — Above the Becky Brook, not far from Hound Tor. Lether Tor (Walkhampton), 1,250. — A bold conical-shaped tor, rising from an extensive clatter, on the slope eastward of Peak Hill. Links Tor, Great (Bridestowe and Sourton), 1,908. — A bold, castellated pile, crowning the ridge between the upper waters of the Rattle Brook and the Lyd. Links Tor, Little (Bridestowe and Sourton). — North-westward of the former. Lints Tor, N., 1,605.— On the right bank of the West Onkment, at the foot of the southern 6lope of High Willes. Littaiokd, or Littleford, Tors, E., 1,460. — A group of tors on the hill, a little to the south-eastward cf Wistman's Wood, near Two Bridges. Longaford Tor, E., 1,595. — A pile of pyramidal form, boldly placed on the crest of the ridge to the north- eastward of Wistman"s Wood. Lough Tor, E. — To the south-east of Bellaford Tor, and in the vicinity of Dunnabridge Pound. Often called Lifter and Larter Tor. On the slope near it is a small oblong enclosure known as Lough Tor Pound, jocularly reported to be a " measure for sheep." To avoid the trouble of counting, the animals were driven into the en- closure, and 'as its capacity was known," their number was easily ascertained! Loughten Tor, E. — A small pile in the new take on Loughten Hill, belonging to Fernworthy Farm. The South Teign flows between it and the farmhouse. Lowery Tor (Waikhampton). — A small tor on Peak Hill, the bold frontier height above Dousland. Lug Tor (Widecombe). — Often called Lucky Tor. Close to the bank of the Dart in the defile under Bench Tor, but on the opposite side of the stream. The Moorland farm of Rowbrook is immediately above it. Lydford Tor, W., 1,647.— In the vicinity of Bairdown Tor. Lynch Tor, W., 1,697. — On the line of the Forest boundary, and on the ridge between the upper valley of the Walkham and the Bagga Tor Brook. .Manaton Tor (Manaton).— Close to the village of that name, in the midst of delightful scenery. Usually referred to as Manaton Rocks. .Middle Tor (Chagford). — On the common near Frenclibeer Tor, neighbourhood of Kes Tor. Mil Tor (Widecombe). — Above the defile below Dartmeet; not far from Rowbrook Farm. Mil Tor, East, N., 1,683.— On the right bank of the Black-a-ven Brook, just within the Forest, and south of Okehampton Park. Mil Tor, West (Okehampton). — North-west of the former, and between Row, or Rough Tor, and Yes Tor. The name is probably a corruption of Middle. Mis Tor, Great, W., 1,760. — A tor of truly magnificent proportions, presenting quite a mountainous out- line. On it is a large rock basin, sometimes referred to as Mis Tor Pan, and also known as the Devil's Frying-pan, tradition that hi.s Satanic Majesty once used il as a cooking utensil. Great Mis Tor is on the Forest boundary line, towards the northern end of Walkhampton Common. Mis Tcr, Little.— [See Wain Tor.] \\tTor (Peter Tavy).— On Nat Tor Down, above the right hank of the Tavy. and near the lower entrance to the famous cle New Warren Tor (Sheepstor).— Near the Plym. opposite Hen Tor. Ock Tor, X.— A short distanci south of the Beiston range. Overlooks Taw Plain. Over Tor (Walkhampton).— In the vicinity oi Merivale Bridge; on the left of the road leading from that place to Princetown. Mrs. Bray, the author's-, having found a rock basin near it, and used it for her ablutions, it was suggested that the hollow be called "Mrs. Bray's Wash-hand Bat M 122 APPENDIX. Pil Tor (Widecombe).— Not far from Hollow Tor. Pu Tor (Whitchurch), 958. — Marks the boundary line between the common lands of Whitchurch and Samp- ford Spiney, not far from the church of the latter parish. On it are four piles standing at the cardinal points. Pupers (Dean), highest point 1,523. — Consists of three piles, two on the summit of the hill, and a third on the slope towards the Wellabrook, called respectively Inner Pupers, Pupers Eock, and Outer Pupers. There is a tradition that these piles were once pipers, who having dared to perform upon their instruments on the Sabbath, were turned into stone. Rippon Tor (Ilsington), 1.563. — A fine frontier height above Bag Tor Down, and southward of Hey Tor. Rival Tor (Gidleigh). — A small tor on a grassy hill of firm ground, but near some extensive mires. It is on a feeder of the Wellabrook, an affluent of the North Teign. Rook Tor (Cornwood). — At the foot of Pen Beacon, and about a mile and a quarter from the village of Cornwood. A email tor. Roose Tor (Peter Tavy). — A fine pile to the south of Langstone Moor, on the ridge to the west of the Walk- ham, and opposite Great Mis Tor. Its older name seems to have been Rules Tor. Encircling it are a number of modern-bound stones, having the letter B incised. Rough Tor (Sheepstor). — A small tor in the vicinity of the Plym. Row Tor (Okehampton). — Close to West Mil Tor; to the eastward of it. Row Tor, E., 1,793. — Rather over a mile below the source of the West Dart; above the right bank of the stream Rundle Stone Tor, W, — Close to the point where the road to Princetown diverges from that leading from Tavistock to Two Bridges. By the roadside at this spot was to be seen until a few years ago a pillar called the Rundle Stone, an ancient boundary mark. Saddle Tor (Ilsington). — Between Hey Tor and Rippon Tor. Scorhill Tor (Gidleigh). — Generally called Scorhill Rocks. On the left bank of the North Teign, below the confluence of that stream with the Wellabrook. Shapley Tor (North Bovey), 1,597. — About three-quarters of a mile south of Moorgate, on the Moreton road, and the same distance north of Grim's Pound. Sharp Tor (Lydford), 1,701. — On the ridge northward of Hare Tor, above the Rattle Brook. Sharp Tor (Harford). — Overlooking Piles Newtake and the Erme Sharp Tor (Brent). — At the extremity of Hickley Ridge, between Three Barrows and Coryndon Ball Gate. Sharp Tor (Widecombe). — Near Mil Tor, above the ravine below Dartmeet. Sharp Tor (WaJkhampton). — Close to Lether Tor. Sharp Tor (Widecombe). — On the hillside east of the village of Widecombe. Sharp Tor (Peter Tavy). — Between Cocks' Tor and Great Combe Tor. Sharp Tor (Peter Tavy). — The principal of the group overlooking Tavy Cleave. The Moormen generally call all tors by this name — Sharpy Tor. There are two others similarly named very near the Moor, enumerated hereafter. Shavercombe Tor (Shaugh).— On Shavercombe Brook, a tributary of the Plym. Sheeps Tor (Sheepstor). — A fine tor near the little Moorland village of that name. Here is the celebrated grotto, known as the Pixies' Cave. It is said that one of the Elfords, a Royalist, once took refuge here. Shilstone Tor (Bridestowe and Sourton). — High above the valley of the West Ockment. Shilstone Tor (Throwleigh), 1,029.— Not far from Throwleigh village. Shipley Tor (Brent). — On the left bank of the Avon above Shipley Bridge. Siddaford Tor, E., 1,764. — A small, but conspicuous tor, not very far from the source of the South Teign. Skir Tor (Belstone), 1,200. — On the right bank of the East Ockment, near Belstone village. Sometimes called Scarey Tor. Sourton Tors (Sourton). — A group immediately above the village of that name. (One of these is East Tor, q.v.) Stannon Tor, E. — A mile and a half north of Post Bridge. Staple Tor, Great. Staple Tor, Mid. Staple Tor, Little (all in Whitchurch). — The first-named is a remarkably fine cluster of rocks. They rise high above the right bank of the Walkham, south of Roose Tor. Steeperton Tor, N., 1,738. — A fine tor rising boldly at the higher end of Taw Plain. Stinka Tor, N. — On the line of the Forest boundary, north of Amicombe Hill. Called anciently Steineg Tor. Strane Tor, S. — A small tor on the Strane, a tributary of the Swincombe. Tavy Cleave Tors (Peter Tavy). — Five piles (of which one is Sharp Tor, q.v.), overhanging the defile called Tavy Cleave. On one side, the hill on which they are placed is very precipitous, THE TORS, HILLS, AND STREAMS OF THE MOOR. 123 Thornworthy Tor (Chagford). — On Thornworthy Down, north of Fernworthy on the South Teign. Top Tor (Widecombe). — Called also Tor Hill, and by the Moormen, Taptor. Eastward of Widecombe village. Tor Rocks (Harford). — On Butter Brook, near the village of Harford. Trowlsworthy Tor, Great (Shaugh), 1,141. — Above the left hank of the Plym, about a mile and three- quarters from Cadaford Bridge. Trowlsworthy Tor, Little (Shaugh), 1,062. — Near the former. These tors are of red granite, which kind is uncommon on the Moor. Some fine blocks have been quarried here. Vixen Tor (Sampford Spiney). — Sometimes called the Sphinx Rock, from the resemblance of its outline, when viewed from some points, to the Egyptian Sphinx. Id is near Merivale Bridge, and close to the road leading from Tavistock to Princetown. Wain Tor (Walkhampton). — Usually called Little Mis Tor. A square mass of granite near the line of the Forest, where it runs from Great Mis Tor to Rundle Stone. Was Tor (Brent Tor). — Close to Lydford Railway Station. Watern Tor, N., 1,756. — Called Waterdon Tor in the Perambulation of 1609. On a ridge near the upper waters of the Wallabrook, a tributary of the North Teign. There are two piles, and from some points these look as though they joined at the top, the space between them thus having the appearance of a large hole pierced through the rock. This tor is very often called Thurlstone Tor. White Tor (Peter Tavy). — On the summit of Cudlipp Town Down. Usually called Whittor. A very fine pile of trap rock, partly encircled by the ruins of an ancient vallum. White Tor, Higher, E. — On the ridge between the West Dart and the Cherry Brook, a short distance to the northward of Longaford Tor. White Tor, Lower, E. — Near the former. The Moormen invariably say Whitten Tor. White Hill Tor (Shaugh). — Sometimes called Torry Combe Tor — pronounced Terracum — being near the little River Torry. The Lee Moor Clay Works are close by. Wild Tor, N., 1,741. — Not far from Watern Tor, but on the northern side of the Wallabrook. Near it is a spring called Wild Tor Well. The "i" is sounded short. Wind Tor (W T idecombe). — A small tor on Dunstone Down, south-west of Widecombe village. \\ inter Tor (Belstone). — The southernmost tor of the Belstone range. Yar Tor (Widecombe). — A fine tor cresting the hill rising on the east side of the valley above Dartmeet. Yes Tor (Okehamptoii), 2,029. — This fine tor is only exceeded in height by one other hill — High Willes. The view from its summit is remarkably fine. There are several scattered piles on Walkhampton Common in the vicinity of the granite quarries. One of these was formerly known as Fur Tor, and another as Yes, or Yeast, Tor — probably East Tor; but those names are not usually applied to them now. There was also Swell Tor, on the site of the present Swell Tor Quarry, and it seems probable that Foggin Tor Quarries were named after a tor, though there is no record of such. Near the Blackabrook, which is not far from Princetown, there is a small pile of rocks to which no name now attaches ; it is probably Golden Tor, referred to by the Rev. Samuel Rowe in the first volume of the " Transactions of the Plymouth Institution," 1830. In 1665 certain freeholders of lands lying within venville filed a bill in the Exchequer against Andrew Gove, the rector of Peter Tavy, praying for a prohibition of a suit in the Court Christian, which the rector had brought against them for tithes of pasturage grounds on the Moor. One of the pasturage grounds named is Claytorre. There is a spot still bearing that name in the vicinity indicated in the document, but no tor exists there. The following Rock Piles have for the most part the character of tors, though that name is not given to them : — Bowerma.n's Nose (Mauaton). — A curious rock, presenting a rude likeness to the human figure. Forms a part of one of the tors on Hayne Down. Bkanscomue's Loae and Cheese (Bridestowe and Sourton).— On the ridge above Shilstone Tor, West Ock- ment. Dewerstone, The (Meavy). — A fine rock rising from the Plym below the Dewerstone Hill, near Shaugh Bridge. Foresland Ledge (Okehampton). — On the hillside under High Willee, towards the West Ockment. Hangershell Rock (Harford). — To the northward of Butterdon Hill, and eastward of Harford Church. Hanging Rock, The (Shaugh). — On Hexton, a hill on Lee Moor, between Blackaton Cross and Shell Top. IIkmvio.nk Hocks, E. — Near the source of the South Teign. Master Rock, 'I'm: (Mary Tavy). — A pile on Zoar Down, in the vicinity of Hill Bridge. BtTGOliBSTONB, 'I'm: (Widecombe). — A huge mass on the com of Widecombe Villagi ■ 1 1 ■•■ ■ (Petei i • 5 -' — A low tor on the common bel • 'tern end of Smearn Down and Wedlake. Slipper Stones, The (Bridestowe and Sourtonj. — South-east of Branscombe 6 Loaf. 124 APPENDIX. 'IYnhill Rocks (Widecomibe). — Near Blackslade in the neighbourhood of the village of Widecombe. Whittenkngwles Rocks (Sheepstor). — On the righl bank of the Plym, near Diteworthy Warren House. :.\i; Ridi;e (Peter Tavy). — Forming the crest of Smearn Down. THE HILLS. Hills of strictly minor importance are not included, as to do so would swell the list unnecessarily, see ng that on Dartmoor almost every eminence, however insignificant, bears a name. Amicombb Hill. N. — Nearly three miles long, ond running north and south. On its eastern side the West Ockment flows for some distance, and also a small stream which, on the Moor, is called the Amicombe. The Rattle Brook bounds it on the west, and Watern Oke on the south. Assycombb Hill. E., 1,oUU. — North-west of the War.en House Inn, on the Moreton and Princetown road. 15 \n: Down Hill, W. — Between the West Dart and the Cowsir. Barn Hill (Whitchurch), 1,085.— To the south of the road between Merivale Bridge and Tavistock, and rather over a mile from the former. Black Hill (Manaton), 1,333.— Above Yarner Wood, and north of Hey Tor Down. Black Hlll (Mary Tavy). — Forms the north-eastern part of Black Down. Black Down (Principally in Mary Tavy; a small part of it in Peter Tavy). — An extensive common, west- ward of the Tavy. The commons of Peter Tavy lie between it and the Forest. Black Down Hill (Okehampton), 1,4-33.— The highest part of Black Down, the greater part of which is within the enclosures of Okehampton Park. Black Dunghill, W., 1,615.— East-north-east of Great Mis Tor, and about midway between it and the Cowsic. Black Ridge, N., 1,853.— Northward of Cut Hill, and south-west of Cranmere Pool. A very broken, peaty surface. Broad Down, E., 1,738. — A wide stretch of ground between the upper waters of the West Dart and Broad Marsh and Sandy Hole on the East Dart. Called by the Moor people Broaden, or Broad'n. Brown Heath (Harford). — Close to the Erme and the Forest boundary line. At its foot and on the bank of the river is Erme Pound. Bitterdon Hil^ (Harford and Ugborough), 1.204-.— North of the Western Beacon above Ivybridge. Buttern Hill (Gidleigh). 1,357. — Above the enclosures west of the church. Catbr's Beau. S.— A high, rounded hill, a little to the westward of the head waters of the Avon. Placed on the Ordnance Map much too far to the west. Cocks' Hill. W. (and Peter Tavy, the Forest boundary line running over it), 1,645. — Above the right bank of the Upper Walkham. Combestone Hill (Holne). — East of Saddle Bridge on the Wobrook ; crowned by Combestone Tor. Corn RlDGE (Bridestowe and Sourton), nearest level 1,750. — The ridge between the Sourton Tors and Wood- cock Hill. Corynjon Ball (Brent). — Close to the south-west corner of Brent Moor. Cosdon Hill (South Tawton), 1,799. — Generally referred to as Cosdon, or Cosson, Beacon. The starting point of the Forest perambulators. Crane Hill, S. — Near Plym Head. Its surface is boggy and broken. Crownhill Down (Plympton St. Mary and Shaugh ; mostly in the former). — Southward of the Torry, and Lee Moor Clay Works. Cuckoo Ball (Ugborough). — On the Lud above Bittaford Bridge. Cut Hill. N. 1,981. — In a desolate part of the Moor, between the upper waters of the Dart and Tavy. The view of the Moor commanded from its summit is most extensive, and gives a better general idea of it than that obtained from any other height. Dartmeet Hill (Widecombe). — Immediately below Dartmeet ; rises from the left bank of the united stream. Dewerstone Hill (Meavy). — Peninsulated by the Plym and the Mew. Dockwell Ridge (Brent). — The part of Brent Moor lying between the Avon and the springs of the Harbourn. Down Ridge, S. 1,383. — South of Herworthy; the Wobrook, a tributary of the Dart, flows on two of its sides. East Down (or Easdon) Hill (North Bovey and Manaton). — Not far from the villages so named. On it is a pile sometimes known as Easdon Tor, and a rock cal ed the Whooping Rock. East Hill (Okehampton). — Towards the eastern end of Okehampton Park. Erme Pits Hill, S. — Close to the source of the Erme, near to which are old mining excavations known as Erme Pits. THE TORS, HILLS, AND STREAMS OF THE MOOR, 125 Eylesbarrow, S. (Also partly in Walkhampton and Sheepstor). — Rises above the right bank of the Plym, a short distance below its source. The Forest boundary-line is marked by a cairn on its summit. Giant's Hill (Shaugh). — On the Plym, above its confluence with the Shavercombe Brook. Gibbet Hill (Mary Tavy), 1,280. — The highest pare of Black Down ; to the west of the Okehampton and Tavistock road. Great Noddon (Bridestowe and Sourton), 1,4-30. — A rounded eminence rising from the right bank of the Lyd, not far below its source. Glascombe Ball (Ugborough), 1,179. — On the ridge west of Glaze Combe. Greena Ball, W. — On the Walkham; a short distance northward of Great Mis Tor. Green Hill, W. (and Peter Tavy). — South of Lynch Tor, and between it and Sandy Ford, on the Walk- ham. Green Hill, S., 1,553. — Between Red Lake, the Erme, and Dark Lake. It forms the best pasturage ground in the south quarter of the Forest. Hameldon (Widecombe and Manaton; the greater part is in the former), 1,695. — A noble hill, forming the western side, of the Valley of Widecombe. On its highest point is a barrow known as Hameldon Beacon. Other barrows on it are named Two Barrows, Single Barrow, and Broad Barrow. Hangjngstone Hill, N., 1,983. — One side of it is also known as Newlake. Eastward of Cranmere Pool, and above the right, bank of the Taw, close to its source. Hayne Down (Manaton), 1,500. — Not far from the village. He.-.don Down (Cornwood and Plympton St. Mary). — Eastward of Crownhill Down. On it are extensive clay pits. Hickaton Hill (Dean). — Between the Wallabrook, the Avon, and the Brock Hill stream. Hickley Ridge (Brent). — Between Red Brook and the enclosures of Treeland. Its southern extremity is often called Brent Fore Hill. High Down (Lydford). — Near the village; bounded on the south and east by the Lyd. High Willes, N. (and Okehampton), 2,039. — Th-e summit is on Okehampton Common, but the southern side of the hill runs into the Forest. It is the loftiest hill on the Moor, and of any in England, south of Cumberland. Yes Tor is not more than half a mile to the northward; the depression between 'the two is very slight. Holne Ridge (Hoine), 1,579. — That part of Holne Moor nearest to the Forest, Homerton Hill (Okehampton). — Rises from the right, bank « f the West Ockment, above Meldon Gorge. IIV.vtingdox, S. — On the Avon, now included within the bourdary of a warren; it is situated in the south of the Forest. On its highest point is a large cairn. Hurston Ridge, E. (ind Chagford). — The Forest boundary-line runs over it in a direction north and south, to the north of the Warren House Inn. Kennon Hill (Thowleigh), 1,570. — South of Cosdon, and to the eastward of Little Hound Tor. Kneeset, Great, N., 1,864. — A fine hill, of firm ground, surrounded by tracts of broken, peaty land. On its summit are some rocks giving it the character of a tor. It is on the great ridge separating the valley of the West Ockment from that of the Upper Tavy. Kneeset, Little, N.. 1,694. — About a mile south of the former. The higher springs of the Tavy rise near it, It forms one side of the entrance to Cut Combe, the slope of Fur Tor forming the other. Lade Hill, E. — Between Siddaford Tor and the East Dart. Lade Hill Bottom, at its foot, is always called by the Moor people Ladle Bottom, and similarly, Broad Down, on the opposite side of the river is spoken of as Broaden. The name of this hill is probably derived from the mine leat, A.S. "lade," which is carried along its side. Lakehead Hill, E. — Between Post Bridge and Bellaford Tor. Long Ash Hill (Walkhampton). — On the left bank of the Walkham, below Merivale Bridge. Long Ridge, E. — Between the Upper North and South Teign, which run in a north-easterly direction. Longstone Hill {Okehampton). — On the right bank of the West Ockment, and south of the confluence of that river with the Redaven Brook. A little stream separatee it from Homerton Hill. Loughten Hill, E. — On the South Teign, opposite Fernworthy farmhouse. Lynch Hill (Heavy). — Between the Mew, near Meavy, and Ringmoor Down; forms one side of Lynch Down. Maiden Hii.l, \V., 1,780.— Westward of the Cowsic, near its source. Manger Hill, N.— On the North Teign; the enclosures of Teign Head Farm are on its slopes. Mi'iupit Hill, E.. 1,475. — Between Post Bridge and the Warren House Inn, on the Moretou road. The highway is carried over it. Metheral Hill, N., 1.504. — South-east of Taw Plain. Middle Hill, N. — At the head of the East Ockment. Naksb'b Hill, S. — Just below the mire at the head of the Avon (Aune Head), on the right bank of the stream. Nap (Holne). — Above the left bank of the Mardle, below Eapstead Ford. Nbw Bridge Hill (Wid V u Pound's Gate The Dart sweeps round its foot, flowing under Now Bridge, over which passes the road leading from Ashliuriun to Dartmeet and Princetown. 126 APPENDIX. Ockment Hill, N., 1,857. — The ridge between the upper waters of the East and West Ockments, and to the north of Cranmere Pool. Several feeders of the West Ockment take their rise on its western slope. Generally called by the moormen Ockaton Hill. Old Hill (Brent). — Between Red Brook and Middle Brook. Parxell's Hill (Dean). — Immediately above the springs of the Harbourn. It is sometimes called Longstone Hill, from a menhir near its summit. Peak Hill (Walkhampton), 1.511. — The road from Uousland to Princetown passes over its flank as it enters the Moor. Pen Beacon (Cornwood), 1,407. — A fine frontier height above the village of Cornwood. Piles Hill (Harford). — On the left bank of the Enne; southward of the ancient oak wood of Piles. PiwcHAFDRD Ball (Ilsiugton). — Near Bag Tor Mill, on the confines of the Moor. QriCKBEAM Hill (Ugborough and Harford). — South of Hook Lake, a tributary of the Erme. The lower part is more often called Erme Pia.ns. On Daitmoor a plain means ground comparatively free from rocks, and such as can be passed over easiiy on horseback, and not necessarily level. Quickbeam is the local name for the Mountain Ash. Raddick Hill (Walkhampton). — Between Hart Tor and Cramber Tor. Rattle Brook Hill (Lydford). — Rises from the western bank of the Rattle Brook. Riddon Ridge. E. — Between the Wallabrook and the East Dart, and extending for about two miles above their cunrlueuce. Ringmoor Down (Sheepstor). — South-east of the village; between it and the Plym. Round Toe Hill (Gidleigh). — A small round hili lying north-eastward of Watern Tor. Royal Hill, W., 1,335. — In the centre of Tor Royal Newtake, vicinity of Princetown. Ryder's Hill, S. (also partly in Holne and Buckfastleigh). — Eastward of the springs of the Avon; by the Moormen called simply — Ryder. On its summit i6 Petre's Bound Stone, marking the limits of a manor granted to S.r William Petre at the Dissolution. Ryder's Plain (Brent). — Sometimes called Zeal Plains. On the right bank of the Avon above Black Tor. Saddlesborougii (Shaugh). — A part of Shaugh Common, to the east of the village. Shell Top (Cornwood and Shaugh), 1,546. — Overlooks Pen Beacon. A fine frontier height. Sktr Hill, S. — South of Down Ridge; separated from it by the Wobrook. Smearn Down (Peter Tavy). — East of the village. Its crest is sometimes called Smear Ridge, and on it are several smaal tors, Boulter's Tor, at its eastern end, being the principal. Snowdon (Buckfastleigh). — Northward of Pupers, and between that hill and the Mardle. Near the summit are three small cairns, overgrown with short, grey moss. Stalldon Barrow (Cornwood). — The highest point of Stall Moor, opposite Piles Wood. The side of the hill nearest to the Erme is very steep. Stannon Hill (Peter Tavy). — An extensive hill forming the east side of Tavy Cleave. On its highest point is a cairn. Stewart's Hill (Shaugh). — Near the road from the village to the Lee Moor Clay Works. Stinger's Hill (Cornwood). — Close to the Erme, opposite Red Lake. On one side of it is a small, shallow combe, known to the Moormen as Knocking Mill. At its foot, close to the river, is a narrow, level stretch of ground, called The Meadows. Stonetor Hill, E. — A small hill near the North Teign, on the side of Shovel Down. Terhill, S., 1,576. — Between the enclosures of Fox Tor Farm and the head waters of the Wobrook. Pro- nounced Terrell by the Moormen. Three Barrows (Brent and Ugborough), 1,522. — A fine height, on which are three large cairns. High above the eastern bank of the Erme. Trendlebere Down (Lustleigh, Manaton, and Bovey Tracey). — Under Black Hill, and between Yarner Wood and Hound Tor Wood. Wallaford Down (Buckfastleigh). — On the east side of the valley of Dean Burn. Its southern end is about a mile and a half from the town of Buckfastleigh. Water Hill, E., 1,606. — Immediately behind the Warren House Inn, on the Moreton road. Watern Oke, N. — South of Amicombe Hill; bounded on the west by tin Rattle Brook, and on the south by the Tavy. W t eatherdon Hill (Harford). — A short distance north-west of Butterdon Hill. There are cairns near its summit. West Down (Shaugh). — On the left bank of the Plym, above Shaugh Bridge, and ooposite to the Dewerstone Hill. Western Beacon (Harford and Ugborough). — A prominent frontier eminence, the foot of which forms the most southerly point of Dartmoor. Overlooks the village of Ivybridge. Whitabcrrow Eastern (Brent), 1,539. — A fine cairn on its summit, twelve yards in height and ninety in circumference. Formerly named as a Forest boundary mark. Weitaburkow Western (S ), 1.575— Morp generally known as Petre's Cros*. The mos^ southerly point of the forest. The name is always pronounced oh the Mocr as though it were spelled Whire-a-burrow. THE TORS, HILLS, AND STREAMS OF THE MOOR. 127 Whitaburrow (Widecombe). — To the south-east of Blackslade, above the east side of the vale. White Hill (South Tawton), 1,500. — Between Cosdon Beacon and Taw Plain. White Hill (Peter Tavy), 1,280. — To the north-east of Black Down, and about two miles from Lydford village. White Horse Hill, N., 1,974-. — A short distance eastward of the source of the East Dart, in a remote part of the Moor. White Ridge, E., 1,654. — North of Stannon Farm, and about two miles north of Post Bridge. Called by the Moor people Woodridge, or Woodridge Hill. Wigford Down {Meavy), 887. — Northward of the Dewerstone Hill, and eastward of Good-a-Meavy. Woodcock Hill (Bridestowe and Sourton). — To the north and west of Rattle Brook Head. Yennadon (Meavy). — South of the Princetown road, between Dousland Barn and Peak Hill. Zeal Hill (Brent). — On the right bank of the Avon, not far above Shipley Bridge. TORS AND HILLS ON OUTLYING COMMONS. Aish Ridge (Brent). — Rather more than a mile from the village; a part of its northern side is known as Staddon. Brent Hill (Brent), 1,017. — Near the village; on one side of it is Beara Common. Brent Tor (Brent Tor), 1,000.— Crowned with the Church of St. Michael de Rupe. Hanger Down (Cornwood), 753. — Between the Erme and the Yealm, above Ivybridge. Hemerdon Ball (Plympton St. Mary), 700. — South of Crownhill Down, and near Sparkwell. A plantation on its summit. Henlake Down (Cornwood), 696. — Immediately above Ivybridge railway station. Mei.don, or Middleton, Hill (Ohagford). — Above the little town of that name. Nattadon, or Nat Tor Down (Chagford). — Near the former. Week Down (Chagford). — Southeast of the town. Lustleigh Cleave (Lustleigh). — On the ridge forming the eastern side of the cleave are several rock-piles, named as follow : — The Fox's Yard. The Nutcrackers. Herton Chest. Ravens' Tor. Hunters' Tor. Sharp Tor. Near the Cleave are Gradnev Rocks, 529. On the Tavy between Hill Bridge and the confluence of the stream with the Cholwell Brook, are six tors — five on the right bank of the river and one on the left : — Brimhill Tor. Kentor Tor. Fox Tor. Longtimbcr Tot. High Tor. Youlter Tor. On the commons to the eastward of Chagford and Moretonhampstead and the Wmy, a tributary of the Bovey, arc the following tors and rocks: — Blackystone Rock (Bridford). — About two miles from Moreton, south of the road leading to Dunsford. Bot Tor (Hennock). — Near the village of that name. Elsford Rock. — About two and a half miles from Moreton, on the Hennock road. Hel Tor (Bridford). — Above the right bank of the Teign, not far from Bridford village. Hunts Tor (Drewsteignton). — Above the gorge of Fingle, opposite Whyddon Park. John Cann's Rocks (Bovey Tracey). — Not very far from the town. Sharp Tor (Drewsteignton). — In Fingle Gorge, near Hunts Tor. Skat Tor (Bridford). — Between Bridford and Christow, in the Teign Valley. Willingstone Rock (Moretonhampstead). — North-cast of But/terdon Hill, and about two miles north of Moreton. In addition to the foregoing iIhtc are a few other rocks deserving of mention: — Av well Rock: In Buckland Woods, oft* oall I Hazel Tor. The Raven Rock and Tho Lovers' Leap; both near the former. The Puggie Stonr. above the Teign, near Holy Street, Chagford, 128 APPENDIX. Raven Tor (Bridestowe). — In Old Cleave Woods, on the right bank of the Lyd, below the gorge. The Eagle Eock ; below Bench Tor, on the Dart. A smill tor usually known as Burra Tor, overlooking the confluence of the Sheeps Tor Brook and the Mew. Robo rough Rock, on the Down, not far from Yelverton railway station, formerly called Ulster, or Ullestor R