HAWNS AND DENDLES

to Hawns and Dendles (opened on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays b y th e ow n er’ s perm ission), a b e a u tifu lly

w ooded narrow v a lle y th rou gh w hich th e riv er runs

o ver a series of cascades. T here is m uch d o u b t as to

the origin of the nam e o f th is p re tty va lley . O ne su ggestion is th a t it com es from th e W elsh Hawddies a thlosr

m eaning “ v e ry a ttr a c tiv e and tw ice b e a u tifu l.” A

m ore prosaic exp lan atio n is th a t it is d erived from th e

union of the nam es of form er ow ners, one M adam e H aw n s

and a Mr. D aniels. T h e low er p a th th rou gh th e

w ood leads to a w ooden bridge w hich spans a p ictu resqu e

chasm , and o ut on to a h ill ab ove th e trees, w hen ce

the p ath m a y be follow ed to th e startin g point. In stead

of return in g direct to Cornw ood th e jo u rn e y m a y be

con tin ued o u t on to th e M oor, and o ver S ta ll D ow n

into th e v a lle y of the E rm e, and thence b y w a y of H arfo rd

to Iv y b rid g e.

A n o th er excursion for w hich Cornwood is the startin g

place is across th e M oor to B ick leigh or D ousland. T h is

route leads p ast the Lee Moor China Clay Works, in th e

v ic in ity of w hich are some stone rows and h u t circles.

One row of considerable len gth , ending in a circle, stan d s

near the Cholw ich T o w n w orks, and on th e hill to w ard s

Shell T o p is a pound w ith h u t circles, and a stone seven

feet high, m arked w ith th e letters c and b , a p p a re n tly

erected to m ark th e boun daries of th e Cornw ood and

B ick leigh Com m ons. T o w ard s Trowlesworthy Tor and

near a large reservoir w h ich w as co n stru cted for th e

supply of the w orks is another group of rem ains,

including a circle sixteen feet in diam eter, w ith stone

rows and m enhirs. Roman Cross, w hich stan ds o u t

conspicuously on the hillside, is, accordin g to tra d itio n ,

erected on th e spot w here S t. P a u l preached on a visit

w hich he is supposed to h a ve p aid to B ritain . On a

m ound near it is a bound stone know n as Emmett’s Post.

On th e opposite side of th e v a lle y are num erous other

Remains.

The course of the Plym can be follow ed

down to Cadover Bridge, w hence th e road north-w est

will lead to Me

IVYBRIDGE h i

the w ood is p re tty . A w eir d iverts p ra ctica lly all the

w ater from the low er p art of the river in to reservoirs

for the use of the pap er m ill, b u t ab ove th is th e stream

flows over a num ber of sm all cascades in a v e ry picturesque

style. '-U n fortu n ately, this w alk com es to an end in a

m ile or so, and H arfo rd B ridge, w hich is h alf a m ile

beyon d, can only be reached b y scram blin g along a

rough fisherm en’s p ath . I t is better, therefore, to tak e

th e road over the I v y B ridge. T h e villa ge of Harford

w as the birth p lace of John P rideaux, B ishop of W orcester,

and in the little Perpendicular church (St. P e tro ck ’s)

is a m onum ent w hich he erected in m em ory of his parents

and their fam ily. T here is also an effigy in p late arm our

o f T hom as W illiam s, som etim e Speaker of th e H ouse

o f Com m ons. Harford Hall, now a farm house, w as once

th e residence of E liza b e th Chudleigh, D uchess of K in gston , w ho in 1776 w as condem ned b y the peers for b igam y,

in w h at, accordin g to m odern ideas, seems a v e ry harsh

m anner. She had been trick ed into a m arriage w hen a

girl of eighteen and on ly lived w ith her husband tw o

d ays. F iv e and tw e n ty years after, th e C on sistory

C o u rt pronounced th is m arriage null and void, and she

m arried the second D u ke of K in gston. W hen, on the

D u k e ’s death, she w as found to be the in heritor of his

fortune, his disappointed relatives con tested the v a lid ity

o f the Consistory C o u rt’s decree, and she w as declared

b y the H ouse of L ords to h ave been g u ilty of bigam y,

th e p en alty for w hich in th a t d a y w as eith er d eath or

im prisonm ent and bran ding in the hand. I t is p leasan t

t o kn ow th a t E liza b e th got safely a w a y to th e Contin en t and so avoided punishm ent.

Just below H arford Church is the bridge, crossing

w h ich is th e road to Cornw ood. T h e Valley of the Erme

is exceed in gly rich in prehistoric rem ains. In it is the

longest Stone Row on D artm oor ; indeed, it is said to

be the longest of such rem ains in the w orld. I t begins

w ith a circle abou t 60 feet in diam eter on Staldon

Moor, and then runs alm ost due n orth for a distance of

o v e r tw o m iles— tw o m iles and an eighth to be e x a c t—

IVYBRIDGE, SOUTH BRENT AND CORNWOOD.

A

L T H O U G H , in com parison w ith other parts, the

south side of the M oor is som ew hat neglected,

a v e ry agreeable h o lid ay m a y be spent in alm ost a n y

p art of th e d istrict w hich lies betw een N ew ton A b b o t

and Cornw ood. T h e m ain line of th e G reat W estern

ra ilw a y here runs throu gh a co u n try in w hich th e rou ghness of D artm o o r gives place to softer beauties, b u t

th e M oor form s th e b ackgroun d to th e scen ery to the

north, and th e rivers, th o u gh th e y are alm ost in sight

o f th e sea, h a ve h a rd ly left its rugged shelter. Newton

Abbot and its neighbourhood are described in our Guide

to Torquay and South Devon, to w hich the reader w ho

con tem p lates exploring th a t district is referred. I t is

sufficient to say here th a t there are excellen t coaching

excursions over th e M oor from N ew ton A b b o t, and th a t,

bein g situated on the m ain line of the railw ay, and also

th e ju n ction of the bran ch line to B o v e y T ra ce y and

M oreton H am p stead, it is a con venient p o in t from

w h ich to reach m an y p arts of the Moor. South B ren t,

Iv y b rid g e and Cornw ood are near th e M oor and m ay

be m ade centres for some good w alkin g excursions.

Ivyb rid g e.

Hotels and Tariffs.— See Introduction.

Places of Worship, with hours of Sunday services :—

St. John’s Church, 11.o and 6.30. Wesleyan and Congregational, 11.0 and

6.30.

Iv y b rid g e is n ot an in terestin g place in itself. Its

C h urch (St. John ’s) is new and has no special feature

e x ce p t a good reredos in m osaic w ork. In th e ch u rch ­

y ard is the picturesque ruin of an older church, which,

how ever, o n ly dates from th e beginning of th e last

ce n tu ry . T h e w alk under the ra ilw a y v ia d u ct throu gh

SOUTH BRENT

go b y w a y of Shaugh and Shaugh B rid ge to B ickleigh

(see p. 97).

South Brent.

S outh B ren t is a ty p ic a l m oorland tow n . I t has

an ancient w eath er-beaten C h urch (St. P e tro c k ’s) in

th e D ecorated and Perp endicu lar styles, w ith a lo w to w er

o f N orm an style. T h e fo n t is N orm an , and there are

piscinae in the chan cel and in the chapels a t th e eastern

end of each of th e aisles. T h e river A vo n runs here

th rou gh a narrow gorge and foam s and tum bles o ver a

series of little cascades in v e ry rom an tic fashion. F rom

near th e church there is a p a th th rou gh a w ood w hich

gives p icturesque view s of th e river righ t up to the Lydia

Bridge, w here it is m o st p icturesque of all.

Brent Hill

(1,0 17 feet), near the v illa ge , com m ands exten sive view s,

northw ard over m uch of D artm oor to th e d istan t heights

o f E xm oor, w hile to th e south it includes th e fertile

d istrict of the So u th H am s, bordered b y th e sea. T here

w as form erly a chapel on th e sum m it of the hill, and

the lines m a y also be tra ced of an an cien t cam p and

other rem ains of occup ation in prehistoric tim es. A

w alk of tw o and a h alf m iles, first up the hill beyon d

L y d ia B rid ge and then alon g the ban k of the river, leads

to Shipley Bridge, w hich is ch a rm in g ly situated. T h e

M oor is entered a little above the bridge, betw een B la ck

T o r and S h ip ley T or. On the left as w e ascend tow ards

B la c k T o r is a group of h u t circles, w hile on th e high

ground beyon d th e T o r are the circles called The Rings.

T h e w hole neighbourhood is rich in prehistoric rem ains,

and there is also m uch evidence of th e labou r of th e

tinners.

Huntingdon’s Cross, w hich is situ ated on th e left b a n k

of th e A v o n near th e ju n ction of the river w ith th e

W ellabrook, m arks th e p lace a t w h ich the Abbots Way

ERME VALLEYCORNWOOD to a barrow on Green Hill.

In its course it crosses the Erme from west to east, and it also crosses the boggy tributary Red Lake.

This remarkable stone row when crossing the Erme passes near to but does not touch Erme Pound, an enclosure as interesting as Grimspound, though smaller.

 South of this pound is another short row, also connected with a circle and a kistvaen,and on the south side of Staldon Moor are others  Hut circles, cairns and kistvaens are numerous in the neighbourhood.

 All along the stream and on several of its tributaries are evidences of extensive tin streaming and smelting operations.

By bearing a little to the north-west after passing Erme Head, and crossing the bog called Caters Beam ,

a course may be steered for Princetown , passing on the way Nun’s Cross p. 94. The whole distance from Ivybridge is fourteen miles.

Cornwood.

As the starting point for two or three interesting excursions, Cornwood is visited by large numbers of persons during the

Summer.

 The Church . St. M ichael’ s, which is passed on the way from the station , dates from

the fifteen the century, and is chiefly in th e Perp endicu lar

style, the to w er and chancel bein g the oldest portions.

I t has been restored b u t retains th e ancient sedilia

and a piscina, and has a com m union rail of alab aster

and m arble. Fardel, an old farm house, w as once the

p ro p erty of th e R aleigh fam ily. Sir W a lter R a leig h ’s

fath er w as born here, b u t th e m ore distinguished son

w as born a t H ayes B a rto n in E a st D evon . In th e

centre of the picturesque village is a handsom e drinkin g

foun tain erected to th e m em ory of L ord B la ch fo rd ,

w ho received his title as a rew ard for good service in

th e Colonial Office. A lane on th e righ t im m ed iately

b eyon d this m em orial leads th rou gh a w ood to w ard s

th e R iv e r Y e alm , and follow in g the p ath on th e rig h t

b a n k w e com e o u t again on th e road near an old brid ge.

H a lf a m ile beyon d this is th e farm gate w hich leads

B U C K F A S T A B B E Y - — D E A N P R I O R

115

crossed the Avon . The path is here fairly distinct.

Petre’s Cross, on W estern W h itab u rro w , o ver w h ich th e

A bbots W a y ran to w ard s th e E rm e V a lle y , w as m u tila ted

b y w orkm en h a lf a ce n tu ry ago, its corners bein g kn o cked

off and the sh aft used in th e erection of a h u t in connection

w ith some neighbouring p ea t w orks.

F rom the v a lle y of th e A v o n th e course pursued

b y th e old m onks m a y be follow ed w estw ard o ver th e

m oorland to th e v a lle y of th e E rm e (p. 111) or eastward in the direction of B u ck fastleig h , w here is still

carried on th e w oollen tra d e for w h ich in form er y ea rs

the W est of E n glan d w as fam ous. A m ile from th is

tow n is

Buckfast Abbey,

originally founded in 981, w here a co m m u n ity of th e

Benedictine O rder has establish ed itself in recent

years, and has reared upon th e ven erable fo u n d ations a new religious establishm ent. O verlookin g

the D a rt betw een B u ck fa st and H olne B rid ge is a hill

crowned w ith an an cien t cam p kn ow n as Hembury

Castle. I t had an earthen ram p art and is placed am id

very fine scenery. On th e w a y b a ck to S o u th B re n t

the road passes through th e village of

Dean Prior,

of w hich the poet Herrick was vicar. He was presented to the living in 1629, and held it for eighteen years, when he was 'ejected . Though the parish is situated a id

some of th e best scenery in th e co u n ty, H errick did

not love “ dull Devonshire,” as he called it, and his

farewell to Dean Bourn is full of abuse of th e p r e tty

Stream and of the people liv in g in th e v ic in it y :

A people currish ; churlish as the seas ;

And rude (almost) as rudest savages.

Perhaps he did n ot find co u n try life so uncongenial as these lines w ou ld lead one to suppose, for

t here is m uch in praise of it in Hesperides to set o ff

ERME VALLEYCORNWOOD to a barrow on Green Hill.

In its course it crosses the Erme from w est to east, and it also crosses the boggy tributary Red Lake.

This remarkable stone row when crossing the Erme passes near to but does not touch Erme Pound, an enclosure as interesting as Grimspound, though smaller.

 South of th is pound is another short row, also connected w ith a circle and a kistvaen , and on th e south side of Staldon Moor are others

 Hut circles, cairns and kistvaens are numerous in the neighbourhood.

 All along the stream and on several of its tributaries are evidences of extensive tin streaming and smelting operations.

By bearing a little to the north-west after passing Erme Head, and crossing the bog called Caters Beam ,

a course m a y be steered for Princetow n , passing on the

w a y N u n ’s Cross (p. 94). T h e w hole distan ce from

Iv y b rid g e is fourteen miles.

C ornw ood.

A s the startin g poin t for tw o or three in terestin g

excursions, Cornw ood is visited b y large num bers of

persons during th e sum m er. T h e C h urch (St. M ichael’ s),

w hich is passed on th e w a y from the statio n , dates from

the fifteen th cen tu ry, and is chiefly in th e Perp endicu lar

style, the to w er and chancel bein g the oldest portions.

I t has been restored b u t retains th e ancient sedilia

and a piscina, and has a com m union rail of alab aster

and m arble. Fardel, an old farm house, w as once the

p ro p erty of th e R aleigh fam ily. Sir W a lter R a leig h ’s

fath er w as born here, b u t th e m ore distinguished son

w as born a t H ayes B a rto n in E a st D evon . In th e

centre of the picturesque village is a handsom e drinkin g

foun tain erected to th e m em ory of L ord B la ch fo rd ,

w ho received his title as a rew ard for good service in

th e Colonial Office. A lane on th e righ t im m ed iately

b eyon d this m em orial leads th rou gh a w ood to w ard s

th e R iv e r Y e alm , and follow in g the p ath on th e rig h t

b a n k w e com e o u t again on th e road near an old brid ge.

H a lf a m ile beyon d this is th e farm gate w hich leads

HAWNS AND DENDLES

to Hawns and Dendles (opened on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays b y th e ow n er’ s perm ission), a b e a u tifu lly

w ooded narrow v a lle y th rou gh w hich th e riv er runs

o ver a series of cascades. T here is m uch d o u b t as to

the origin of the nam e o f th is p re tty va lley . O ne su ggestion is th a t it com es from th e W elsh Hawddies a thlosr

m eaning “ v e ry a ttr a c tiv e and tw ice b e a u tifu l.” A

m ore prosaic exp lan atio n is th a t it is d erived from th e

union of the nam es of form er ow ners, one M adam e H aw n s

and a Mr. D aniels. T h e low er p a th th rou gh th e

w ood leads to a w ooden bridge w hich spans a p ictu resqu e

chasm , and o ut on to a h ill ab ove th e trees, w hen ce

the p ath m a y be follow ed to th e startin g point. In stead

of return in g direct to Cornw ood th e jo u rn e y m a y be

con tin ued o u t on to th e M oor, and o ver S ta ll D ow n

into th e v a lle y of the E rm e, and thence b y w a y of H arfo rd

to Iv y b rid g e.

A n o th er excursion for w hich Cornwood is the startin g

place is across th e M oor to B ick leigh or D ousland. T h is

route leads p ast the Lee Moor China Clay Works, in th e

v ic in ity of w hich are some stone rows and h u t circles.

One row of considerable len gth , ending in a circle, stan d s

near the Cholw ich T o w n w orks, and on th e hill to w ard s

Shell T o p is a pound w ith h u t circles, and a stone seven

feet high, m arked w ith th e letters c and b , a p p a re n tly

erected to m ark th e boun daries of th e Cornw ood and

B ick leigh Com m ons. T o w ard s Trowlesworthy Tor and

near a large reservoir w h ich w as co n stru cted for th e

supply of the w orks is another group of rem ains,

including a circle sixteen feet in diam eter, w ith stone

rows and m enhirs. Roman Cross, w hich stan ds o u t

conspicuously on the hillside, is, accordin g to tra d itio n ,

erected on th e spot w here S t. P a u l preached on a visit

w hich he is supposed to h a ve p aid to B ritain . On a

m ound near it is a bound stone know n as Emmett’s Post.

On th e opposite side of th e v a lle y are num erous other

Remains.

The course of the Plym can be follow ed

down to Cadover Bridge, w hence th e road north-w est

will lead to Me

IVYBRIDGE .  111

the wood is pretty . A weir diverts practically all the

water from the lower p art of the river in to reservoirs

for the use of the paper mill, but above this the stream

flows over a num ber of sm all cascades in a v e ry picturesque

Style. ' Unfortunately, this walk comes to an end in a

m ile or so, and Harford Bridge, which is half a mile

beyond, can only be reached b y scram bling along a

rough fishermen’s path . I t is better, therefore, to tak e

th e road over the I v y B ridge. T h e villa ge of Harford

w as the birth p lace of John P rideaux, B ishop of W orcester,

and in the little Perpendicular church (St. P e tro ck ’s)

is a m onum ent w hich he erected in m em ory of his parents

and their fam ily. T here is also an effigy in p late arm our

o f T hom as W illiam s, som etim e Speaker of th e H ouse

o f Com m ons. Harford Hall, now a farm house, w as once

th e residence of E liza b e th Chudleigh, D uchess of K in gston , w ho in 1776 w as condem ned b y the peers for b igam y,

in w h at, accordin g to m odern ideas, seems a v e ry harsh

m anner. She had been trick ed into a m arriage w hen a

girl of eighteen and on ly lived w ith her husband tw o

d ays. F iv e and tw e n ty years after, th e C on sistory

C o u rt pronounced th is m arriage null and void, and she

m arried the second D u ke of K in gston. W hen, on the

D u k e ’s death, she w as found to be the in heritor of his

fortune, his disappointed relatives con tested the v a lid ity

o f the Consistory C o u rt’s decree, and she w as declared

b y the H ouse of L ords to h ave been g u ilty of bigam y,

th e p en alty for w hich in th a t d a y w as eith er d eath or

im prisonm ent and bran ding in the hand. I t is p leasan t

t o kn ow th a t E liza b e th got safely a w a y to th e Contin en t and so avoided punishm ent.

Just below H arford Church is the bridge, crossing

w h ich is th e road to Cornw ood. T h e Valley of the Erme

is exceed in gly rich in prehistoric rem ains. In it is the

longest Stone Row on D artm oor ; indeed, it is said to

be the longest of such rem ains in the w orld. I t begins

w ith a circle abou t 60 feet in diam eter on Staldon

Moor, and then runs alm ost due n orth for a distance of

o v e r tw o m iles— tw o m iles and an eighth to be e x a c t—

IVYBRIDGE, SOUTH BRENT AND CORNWOOD.

ALTHOUGH , in comparison with other parts, the south side of the Moor is somewhat neglected,

 a very agreeable holiday may be spent in almost any part of the district which lies between Newton Abbot

and Cornwood.

The main line of the Great Western railway here runs through a country in which the roughness of Dartmoor gives place to softer beauties, but the Moor forms the background to the scenery to the north, and the rivers, though they are almost in sight

of the sea, h a ve h a rd ly left its rugged shelter. Newton

Abbot and its neighbourhood are described in our Guide

to Torquay and South Devon, to which the reader w ho

con tem plates exploring that district is referred. It is

sufficient to say here that there are excellent coaching

excursions over the Moor from Newton Abbot, and that,

being situated on the main line of the railway, and also

th  junction of the branch line to Bovey Tracey and

MoretonHampstead, it is a convenient point from

which to reach many parts of the Moor.

South Brent, Ivybridge and Cornwood are near the Moor and may be made centres for some good walking excursions.

Ivybridge.

Hotels and Tariffs.— See Introduction.

Places of Worship, with hours of Sunday services :—

St. John’s Church, 11.o and 6.30. Wesleyan and Congregational, 11.0 and

6.30.

Ivy bridge is not an interesting place in itself. Its

C hurch (St. John ’s) is new and has no special feature

e x ce p t a good reredos in m osaic w ork. In th e chu rch ­

y ard is the picturesque ruin of an older church, which,

how ever, o n ly dates from th e beginning of th e last

century .

T h e walk under the railway viaduct through

SOUTH BRENT  go by way of Shaugh and Shaugh Bridge to Bickleigh

(see p. 97).

 South Brent is a typical moorland town . It has an ancient weather-beaten Church (St. Petrock ’s) in the Decorated and Perpendicular styles, with a low tower

o f N orm an style. T h e fo n t is N orm an , and there are

piscinae in the chan cel and in the chapels a t th e eastern

end of each of th e aisles. T h e river A vo n runs here

th rou gh a narrow gorge and foam s and tum bles o ver a

series of little cascades in v e ry rom an tic fashion. F rom

near th e church there is a p a th th rou gh a w ood w hich

gives p icturesque view s of th e river righ t up to the Lydia

Bridge, w here it is m o st p icturesque of all.

Brent Hill

(1,0 17 feet), near the v illa ge , com m ands exten sive view s,

northw ard over m uch of D artm oor to th e d istan t heights

o f E xm oor, w hile to th e south it includes th e fertile

d istrict of the So u th H am s, bordered b y th e sea. T here

w as form erly a chapel on th e sum m it of the hill, and

the lines m a y also be tra ced of an an cien t cam p and

other rem ains of occup ation in prehistoric tim es. A

w alk of tw o and a h alf m iles, first up the hill beyon d

L y d ia B rid ge and then alon g the ban k of the river, leads

to Shipley Bridge, w hich is ch a rm in g ly situated. T h e

M oor is entered a little above the bridge, betw een B la ck

T o r and S h ip ley T or. On the left as w e ascend tow ards

B la c k T o r is a group of h u t circles, w hile on th e high

ground beyon d th e T o r are the circles called The Rings.

T h e w hole neighbourhood is rich in prehistoric rem ains,

and there is also m uch evidence of th e labou r of th e

tinners.

Huntingdon’s Cross, w hich is situ ated on th e left b a n k

of th e A v o n near th e ju n ction of the river w ith th e

W ellabrook, m arks th e p lace a t w h ich the Abbots Way

B U C K F A S T A B B E Y - — D E A N P R I O R 115

crossed th e A vo n . T h e p a th is here fa irly d istin ct.

Petre’s Cross, on W estern W h itab u rro w , o ver w h ich th e

A bbots W a y ran to w ard s th e E rm e V a lle y , w as m u tila ted

b y w orkm en h a lf a ce n tu ry ago, its corners bein g kn o cked

off and the sh aft used in th e erection of a h u t in connection

w ith some neighbouring p ea t w orks.

F rom the v a lle y of th e A v o n th e course pursued

b y th e old m onks m a y be follow ed w estw ard o ver th e

m oorland to th e v a lle y of th e E rm e (p. 111) or eastward in the direction of B u ck fastleig h , w here is still

carried on th e w oollen tra d e for w h ich in form er y ea rs

the W est of E n glan d w as fam ous. A m ile from th is

tow n is

Buckfast Abbey,

originally founded in 981, w here a co m m u n ity of th e

Benedictine O rder has establish ed itself in recent

years, and has reared upon th e ven erable fo u n d ations a new religious establishm ent. O verlookin g

the D a rt betw een B u ck fa st and H olne B rid ge is a hill

crowned w ith an an cien t cam p kn ow n as Hembury

Castle. I t had an earthen ram p art and is placed am id

very fine scenery. On th e w a y b a ck to S o u th B re n t

th e road passes throu gh th e village of

Dean Prior,

of w hich the poet H errick w as vicar. H e w as presen ted

to the livin g in 1629, and held it for eighteen years, w hen

he w a s 'e je cte d . T h o u gh the parish is situ ated am id

some of th e best scenery in th e co u n ty, H errick did

not lo v e “ dull D evo n sh ire,” as he called it, and his

f arewell to Dean Bourn is full of abuse of th e p r e tty

s ( ream and of the people liv in g in th e v ic in it y :

A people currish ; churlish as the seas ;

And rude (almost) as rudest savages.

Perhaps he did n ot find co u n try life so uncongenial as these lines w ou ld lead one to suppose, for

t here is m uch in praise of it in Hesperides to set o ff

                      LAND AND PEOPLE


In a balanced society land is inseparable from people,

 It shapes them as working folk, breeds in their minds a respectful attitude toward birth and death;

and in every region, every parish, Us discipline has been the source of originality of thought and culture. In the market towns, villages and hamlets of the Dart* moor borderland the shaping process is still strong.

Agriculture gives to these places a unity and connects the upland with the rest of the county.

Modern Dartmoor also attracts many visitois annually, and it is probable that more money is earned from tourism than from agriculture. Farmers and their wives may catei for visitors in order to make a profit; but they also dispense good country fare—honey, cream, butter, bacon, roast beef and pasties —and contribute toward a proper understanding between town and country. Tourism and agriculture are likely to remain as the chief supports of the Dartmoor native.

It is agriculture that appeals most to the Dartmoor farmers and commoners; and their work is never easy because the land gi ves rise to special problems. Whether at the heart of the Mooi where the land is of poor quality—or on the borders where u is suitable for the pasturage of sheep and cattle, there is evidence ol constant struggle between man’s desire for cultivation and the slow wilfulness of the Moor to spread. In the survey devoted 11 • Land Utilization, edited by Professor Dudley Stamp, it was estimated that:

v “There are considerable possibilities of afforestation on and around Dartmoor. There are old established plantations at 1,260 to over 1,500 feet north of Princetown, large new afforested areas south of Postbridge, and the Forestry Coin mission area around the new reservoir south-west of Cnagfoid, Woodland at present is most abundant on the eastern bordei, and one surveyor noted that much had survived because ol difficulty of access.” *

158

In the same survey the special region from Chagford to More-tonhampstead is referred to: “The whole region is underlain by the eastern part of the Dartmoor Granite mass, and the soil is not inaptly described by the general title of Granite Gravel. There is no mistaking the land use pattern on the Land Utihzation Map, Sheet 138—patches of moorland on the higher hills, much woodland, the agricultural land mainly under the plough, the ploughland thus occupying large continuous stretches with comparatively little grassland, and that poor. There are few orchards; these are the warm light soils which have led to a marked specialization in potatoes. Throwleigh, Gidleigh, Chagford, North Bovey, Manaton, Moretonhampstead, Lustleigh, Bridford and Christow arc the parishes in this region, the first five stretching into the main mass of Dartmoor, whilst portions of Hennock and Bovey Tracey are also included. All show a high proportion of land in potatoes, but low percentage in wheat and barley (the soil may suit but the climate does not). Several surveyors have noted the difficulties of maintaining pastures at high levels “even by careful grazing because they quickly revert to rough grazing and can only be restored by ploughing.”

The Dartmoor farmer has found a difficulty in making a livelihood merely from the raising of sheep and cattle. It was estimated in 1946 that about 1,138 farmers took advantage of moorland grazing, and the Duchy of Cornwall calculated that twenty-two parishes and a number of farms remained “in Venville” even though it seems that the Venville customs are now in abeyance and Venville dues paid only irregularly.

The economic position of the Dartmoor commoners could be the subject of much controversy. Dr Ian Moore, Principal of Scale Hayne Agricultural College, Newton Abbots and an authority on the use of grassland, has told me that so far as Dartmoor is concerned there is a great potential in relation to the improvement of grassland.

“But the whole question is largely one of economics and many of the Dartmoor farmers have not the capital available to embark upon schemes of improvement, such as ploughing and re-seeding, fencing, drainage and the hke. Then, too, there is a considerable acreage of land in the country which could be improved at much less expense before Dartmoor is tackled and the whole problem largely resolves around the question of

159

DARTMOOR

what is needed of British agriculture. If we were driven to i point of relying upon home resources then the improvement of Dartmoor and like moorland areas would have to he faced.”

Living in liis compact stone-built house in a valley sheltered against storm the Dartmoor farmer has had to develop in himself both shrewdness and thrift. He has learned to fight for self-preservation. Traditionally these farmers derived the bulk ol their income from the sale of store cattle, store sheep and wool. The Scotch Blackface breed have increased steadily in numbci s and the Whitefaced Dartmoor is still common though very few of the Bluefaced Dartmoor are now there. South Devon and Devon cattle are kept for milk production and some improvements have been made to farm buildings to render them suitable for the sale of milk under sanitary conditions.

Some commoners in a favourable geographical position and linked to the ancient Venville tradition, arc able to own sheep though they neither own nor rent land. They farm out their sheep under what is called the “half-crease” system. A farmer takes charge of the flock and provides it with fodder, and for this service he obtains all the wool and half the lambs. This is typical of a peasant mode of agriculture and is healthy because it assists the men desirous ultimately of acquiring capital in order to buy land; and it also aids the man who while owning land has little ready money for the purchase of stock. Rights of common, if not so widely exercised are still existent, and the Moor has become a centre for grazing.

The farms are made up of small fields enclosed within the grey stone walls or hedges.

“It is estimated that in some parishes a quarter of the enclosures are less than two acres in size and there are some in which single-acre plots are a feature. These are known locally as “Borough Acres”, being survivals of a system which originated in Saxon times. The soil is generally derived from the granite and is thin and hungry, being inherently short of lime, phosphate and potash, ,but free draining and responsive to adequate treatment with dung, lime and fertilizers. The farms are well scattered over the fringes of the Moor and are frequently difficult of access. Electricity and other such amenities are more often than not absent, while water supplies arc

• 160

Civing in liis compact stone-built house in a valley sheltered against storm the Dartmoor farmer has had to develop in himself both shrewdness and thrift. He has learned to fight for self-preservation. Traditionally these farmers derived the bulk of their income from the sale of store cattle, store sheep and wool. The Scotch Blackface breed have increased steadily in numbers and the Whitefaced Dartmoor is still common though very few of the Bluefaced Dartmoor are now there. South Devon and Devon cattle are kept for milk production and some improvements have been made to farm buildings to render them suitable for the sale of milk under sanitary conditions.

Sratimtrc


what is needed of British agriculture. If we were driven to i point of relying upon home resources then the improvement of Dartmoor and like moorland areas would have to he faced.”

Lome commoners in a favourable geographical position and linked to the ancient Venville tradition, arc able to own sheep though they neither own nor rent land. They farm out their sheep under what is called the “half-crease” system. A farmer takes charge of the flock and provides it with fodder, and for this service he obtains all the wool and half the lambs. This is typical of a peasant mode of agriculture and is healthy because it assists the men desirous ultimately of acquiring capital in order to buy land; and it also aids the man who while owning land has little ready money for the purchase of stock. Rights of common, if not so widely exercised are still existent, and the Moor has become a centre for grazing.

The farms are made up of small fields enclosed within the grey stone walls or hedges.

“It is estimated that in some parishes a quarter of the enclosures are less than two acres in size and there are some in which single-acre plots are a feature. These are known locally as “Borough Acres”, being survivals of a system which originated in Saxon times. The soil is generally derived from the granite and is thin and hungry, being inherently short of lime, phosphate and potash, ,but free draining and responsive to adequate treatment with dung, lime and fertilizers. The farms are well scattered over the fringes of the Moor and are frequently difficult of access. Electricity and other such amenities are more often than not absent, while water supplies are

• 160

Cranium




dartemore abbotsway avon batworthy burrator cator gate chagford haselhurst kes tor lomen moreton bellever seven lords hembury people plym prestonbury princetown shaye tavy tavistock teign widecoombe
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