BRONZE AGE TRACKS
It is believed that the first tracks on Dartmoor were used during the Bronze Age.
These were called ridgeways and followed the high ground for the following reasons.
Firstly* the forest* which is believed to have covered Dartmoor at the time* was much
thinner on the high ground. Secondly* travellers were able to avoid the rivers and
marshes on the low lying ground. Thirdly* there was a much better viewpoint from
the higher less densely wooded ridges*
It is believed that the present Tavistock to Plymouth road follows one of these
routes which eventually reach a beach near Sutton Pool in Plymouth.
THE SAXON ROADS
Though the Romans made a number of roads in Devon* there is no evidence that there
were any Roman roads across Dartmoor. During the Saxon period however* which
lasted for about six hundred years, farms and villages were settled on the edges of the
Moor. Many of the farm lanes and local roads were constructed during this period. The
roads twisted and turned* picking their way between the fields, their banks lined with
stones which had been removed from the fields. (Many motorists, who are strangers to
Devon* have found that the pleasant looking, grassy banks at the sides of the roads are
really made of granite rocks and many leave with scratches on their shiny new cars).
For this they can blame the Saxon farmers of a thousand years ago.
These roads probably only connected different farms to one another and it is not
until much later* towards the end of the 12th century that towns began to grow* Such
towns as Chagford* Tavistock* Plympton* Okchampton and Moretonhampstead. People
naturally wanted to travel between the towns and it is at this time that many of the
routes linking these towns came into being.
MEDIEVAL ROUTES
The best known of these early (medieval) routes is called The Abbot s Way. The
Abbot's Way ran across the southern part of the moor* from Cross Furzes near
Buckfast Abbey. It was used by people from the towns as well as monks from the
Abbeys and the route was marked by granite crosses or sometimes merely by stones
with initials carved on the sides. The Abbot s Way was used mainly by toot travellers*
though some wealthier people probably rode on horseback and others used packhorses
to carry their goods.
People still walk the Abbot's Way but nowadays it is done for pleasure and is seen
as a challenge. There is no clearly marked path so a compass and a map are necessary
to find the way from one landmark to another* some of the crosses which marked the
original track having disappeared.

tablet inserted in the wall of this building is inscribed,— “ This chappie was repaired in the Mayoralty of Matthew Veale, Gent., anno 1689.” The Mayor of Saltash is an important personage : he takes precedence
of the Mayor of Plymouth, and by virtue of his office is also coroner for the borough of Plymouth. The Saltash corporation has jurisdiction over the waters of Plymouth Sound and its tributaries, and derives a considerable revenue from the buoys which it maintains therein.
The Roman road, proceeding west
from Exeter (a branch of the lcenhilde Way), crossed' the Tamar at this point; and the “ Statio Tamara ” of
the Itineraries was no doubt at King’s Tamerton, immediately above the
river, on the Devonshire side. The
rig ht of ferry at Saltash, temp. Edw.
I I I., was granted by the Black Prince,
as Duke of Cornwall, during his
delay at Plymouth in 1355 (see Rte.
7) to a soldier who had been wounded
in the French wars. (See Sir II.
Nicolas’s Hist, of Navy).
(An excursion up the Tamar, as
far as the Weir-head and Morwell
Rocks, is one of the most interesting
in the county. See Devon, Rte. 7 ;
and Cornwall, Rte. 25.)
Saltash is known for its fishermen,
but more so for its fishwomen, who
are celebrated for their prowess at the
oar, and not unfrequently bear away
the prizes at the different regattas.
I t was an ancient borough previous
to the Reform Bill, by which it was
disfranchised, and has been repre
sented in Parliament by W aller the
poet and Clarendon the historian,
who was its member in the Long
Parliam ent. It first appears as a free
borough, temp. Hen. H I.). Saltash,
as commanding one of the princi
pal passes into Cornwall, was fre
quently taken and held by either
party during the civil war. In 1643
i t was the scene of a furious en
gagement, when Lord Mohun and
Sir Ralph Iluploii
the governor of I'll
the Tamar, in *plle
which he had planted
avenues, and oi I In* I
16 guns. Rut hull
viously beaten on I
near Liskeard.
St. Step!'< <
about 1 m. from the I
lofty tow er; and u flu
in all respects ..........
Bodmin (see the ni'U™
An old lich-8toH< lh'» 1
porch of the ehii|'n|
walked to St. Si* pin it
will probably i**lrin|
a t this place he * «•»»»»«
ancient
Castle of
wood.
{
(It is neeil I
after passing Hullnnlljl
rated from the t limit
valley pierced by
the Lynher ( 'reek,
of which a sin it II
under the shellei of
remains of thin
able, but not ho plelit
other ruins, on aetH|
colour of the Mime
ever, beautifn M, .i
and encircled by In
beries.
The niuilfti
tains some fine )ut I n11
about 30 years ago
Tucker, Esq., partly
of the castle walls
Trematon wit* mu'
fell to the share of
tain, half-brother • <!
and was afterw .titU
Valletorts, — IVmi*
Roger de Valle I Ilf
Richard, the great
and K ing of the l(o
been attached lo
Black Prince gave
Nigel Loring, win*
panion in arm* -In
wars.
A Stannary
e

The “ Dead lane ”

Ancient Roads and Tracks

17

The third ancient ridgeway is that coming from the Quay at Merthen Hole, up through the woods, across the old deer park, where it passes through the ditch of the earthworks, so out over the Downs, across the fields to Brill.

Then to Trewardreva and over the ford (Ret) which gave name to Retallack.

So up the hill along past the site of  Maen Rock , skirting Treworvac , across the fields to the “ Dead lane” , where it proves its antiquity by being a part of the parish boundary, then into the Lestraines lane and out to the Turnpike from Helston to Truro at Rame.

The “ Dead lane ” is a strip of this ridgeway which has not been used for over a century, and is so called because it is now a cul-de-sac.

On either side of it is a tumulus, for barrows, like ancient roads, are found on ridges. It is remarkable that this lane, about three-quarters of a mile in length, is the only piece of road which forms part of the Constantine parish boundary.

All the rest of the boundary is formed by creeks , streams, or, for a very small distance, by hedges .

At Merthen Hole it is a typical pack-horse track cut out of the rock . Its paving stones remain beneath the fields and make ploughing Impossible.

The fourth main ridgeway is the present main road from Penryn, entering the parish near Bossawsack and continuing past High Cross down to the river atCalamansack.

There are two principal tracks across the parish from east to west, 2nd as the lower has to traverse six deep valleys, it affords a good example of the precipitous nature of old roads.This enters the parish from Mawnan at Tregarne Mill, passes the steep hill to Treworval , by what is now a rough lane, continues across the fields to Driff and Treviades, then down past Gwealllin to the creek-head at Polwheveral. This part bore the name Clodgy lane in 1649, a common name in Cornwall, derived, in all zbability, from Clud, a carriage, or perhaps from Clodding, meaning trenched ” or “ embanked5.” At the bottom stood two grist mills, d • Tucking or Fulling Mill. The bridge over the stream was built as appears from the contract between the parish and Roger Urd, a mason, of Tregoney, entered into the old Vestry Book .

It appears to continue on the other side of the river through Tremayne and Henforth ( =Old road ) to St. Martins. ‘, Clodgy lane at Helston. Mr. Henderson later changed his mind, and Came to the conclusion that Clodgy meant a Lazar-house. a copy of this interesting document in the present writer’s Old Cornish Bridges,

ANCIENT ROADS AND TRACKS.

The road system of Constantine is not merely medieval, it is prehistoric. This is not intended to be a criticism of those who have charge of the roads but merely a statement of fact. There are no roads in the parish worth mentioning that have been made in modern times .We have seen that the principal roads leading northwards from the Helford River are ridgeways. The most westerly is still in use as the main road from Gweek to the Helston-Truro road ( itself a ridgeway ) at Buttres Gate. Beyond that it once continued by Stythians, Bissoe and Baidu till it joined the principal ridgeway running along the watershed from one end of Cornwall to the other. This road brought the tin bearing region of Stythians into communication with the port of Gweek. It enters Constantine parish at a place called Ponstreath or Ponstrays , which is possibly a corruption of Penstrase , i.e., Street-end, the word strase or strad being used for a paved way, a relic of the Roman strata . At Carloggas a fortification adjoined it . At Tolvan it was crossed by the principal track leading across the parish, and the meeting place of the roads was doubtless suggested by the presence of the TolvanQuoit2.The second ridgeway from Gweek runs up to Carwythenack Chase, where an earthwork lies on its left hand3. Then it went straight up over the top of Brill hill, to Trevease, passing the stone cross at the ford, and so out to join the other ridgeway at Buttres Gate. This road is only used in its lower part, but it can be traced through the crofts on Brill hill by a double line of hedges.

Ancient Roads and Tracks 17The third ancient ridgeway is that coming from the Quay at Merthen Hole, up through the woods, across the old deer park, where it passes through the ditch of the earthworks, so out over the Downs, across the fields to Brill. Then to Trewardreva and over the ford (Ret) which gave name to Retallack. So up the hill along past the site of Maen Rock, skirting Treworvac, across the fields to the “ Dead lane” , where it proves its antiquity by being a part of the parish boundary, then into the Lestraines lane and out to the Turnpike from Helston to Truro at Rame. The “ Dead lane ” is a strip of this ridgeway which has not been used for over a century, and is so called because It is now a cul-de-sac. On either side of it is a tumulus, for barrows, like ancient roads, are found on ridges. It is remarkable that this lane, about three-quarters of a mile in length, is the only piece of road which forms part of the Constantine parish boundary. All the rest of the boundary is formed by creeks, streams, or, for a very small distance, by hedges. At Merthen Hole it is a typical pack-horse track cut out of the rock. Its paving stones remain beneath the fields and make ploughing Impossible.The fourth main ridgeway is the present main road from Penryn, entering the parish near Bossawsack and continuing past High Cross down to the river atCalamansack. There are two principal tracks across the parish from east to west, 2nd as the lower has to traverse six deep valleys, it affords a good example of the precipitous nature of old roads.This enters the parish from Mawnan at Tregarne Mill, passes the steep hill to Treworval , by what is now a rough lane, continues across the fields to Driff and Treviades, then down past Gwealllin to the creek-head at Polwheveral. This part bore the name Clodgy lane in 1649, a common name in Cornwall, derived, in all zbability, from Clud, a carriage, or perhaps from Clodding, meaning trenched ” or “ embanked5.” At the bottom stood two grist mills, d • Tucking or Fulling Mill. The bridge over the stream was built as appears from the contract between the parish and Roger Urd, a mason, of Tregoney, entered into the old Vestry Book . It appears to continue on the other side of the river through Tremayne and Henforth ( =Old road ) to St. Martins. ‘, Clodgy lane at Helston. Mr. Henderson later changed his mind, and Came to the conclusion that Clodgy meant a Lazar-house. a copy of this interesting document in the present writer’s Old Cornish Bridges,

CHAPTER IX.
THE MANOR, TITHING &BARTONOF MERTHEN
The Barton of Merthen has belonged to the Vyvyans of
Trelowarren for three hundred years. It occupies a promontory
that runs out into a long tail-like point, known as the Groyne, between
the two principal arms of the Helford River. From the Barton
House, and still more fromthe ancient earthworks 350 yardsnorthwest of it, one obtains a view that commands the mouth of the Haven,
and it is easy to understand why the Lords of Merthen have always
had such extensive rights over the river.
The meaning of the name Merthen is obscure. It has howevernothing whatever to do with the place-name Merther implying aChapel in honour of a martyr. The earliest spelling of the name,
Meredin, suggests that it is called after a Din or fortress, and theremarkable earthworks in the old Deer-park bear this out. These
earthworks (which have been described on p. 13) consist of two
rectangular enclosures, each of about one acre in area, which join each
other at right angles. The site which they occupy is more
commanding than the site of the farm house, and the line of a very
ancient ridgeway (see p. 17) coming from Merthen Quay northwards
passes through the western ditch of one of them.
There are places called Merthen in St. Austell and Buryan.
Both lie on the coast, the former on a long promontory not unlike
the Groyne, though the creek on one side of it has been filled up.
The word Din, a fortress, latinized into Dunum, was used for a
chief’s residence or capital town. Moridunum (i.e. the sea-city) is
named in the Roman Itineraries as a port on the Roman road east
of Exeter and is generally identified with Sidmouth. Merthen, the
Meridin of the 12th century, may well have been another Moridunum,
a fortress embraced by arms of the sea, which afforded a haven
protected from storms and hostile attack.
Although Merthen has been a farm on the Trelowarren estate for
just three centuries, it has usually been occupied by well-to-do tenants
such as members of the Vyvyan family itself, the Tyackes etc. and it
has preserved much of its former dignity. In the Middle Ages,

an old saxon map of their world slightly different but shows perspective of known world ,,,,, british isles on edge highlights celtic kingdoms

Saxon history in the Westcountry from 577 AD light on the Saxon history in the Westcountry.

Rivers and navigable creeks, p. 36. Tamar, Lynher, p. 38. Tide, or Tidi, p. 40. Seaton, ib.
Loo, or Eaft-Loo, ibid. ProfpoCt of Loo Bridge," ib. Duloo, or Weft Loo river, p. 41. fawy, ib.
Fal, 42, and it’s harbour. Hel, or Heyl river in Kerricr, p. 43. Lo or Low river in Kerrier, p 44.
A1
Heyl in Penwith, ibid. Ganal creek, p. 45. River Alan, al Lamel, ibid. Wade navigable rivers in
may be made notbeneficial, p. 47. Subject: to obftrudtions, p. 49.