with lichens and mosses, every river and morass with curious plants; while the naturalist should know that Dartmoor is a grand natural aviary, where the following birds have been frequently met with : The Little Bittern; the Snow Bunting-(October to April); the Bald Buzzard (or Osprey); the Common Buzzard; the Honey Buzzard (Goshawk); the Moor Buzzard; the Coot; the Hooded Crow; the Curlew; the Dunlin; the Hobby Falcon-(March to October); the Peregrine Falcon; the Mountain Finch (or Brambling)-(Winter season); the Bean Goose (Anas Segetum of Linnæus); the White-fronted Goose; the Wild Goose; Black Grouse; the Hen Harrier; the Marsh Harrier; the Moor Hen (Fulica Chloropus, Linnæus); the Night Heron; the Kite; the Landrail; the Lapwing; the Ring Ouzel (April to October); the Water Ouzel (Water Crow, or Water Pewit); the Golden Plover; the Raven; the Sanderling; the Snipe; the Great Snipe; the Jack Snipe; the Mountain Sparrow (or Tree Sparrow); the Stone Chat -May to October); the Missel Thrush (Turdus Viscivorus); the Song Thrush (Early in January); the Gray Wagtail (February to October); the Yellow Wagtail; the Water Rail; the Whinchat-(May to October). Otters, badgers, weasels, polecats, rabbits, and hares, are also numerous.] We resume our route at Two BRIDGES, 8 miles from Tavistock. A road here branches off to Ashburton, following pretty nearly the course of the Western Dart, and crossing at Dartmeet Bridge, the Eastern Dart. It then passes (right) HOLNE PARK, and again crosses the river, reaching Ashburton at about 10 miles from Two Bridges. On this road, 24 miles, is DUNNABRIDGE POUND. We now pass CROCKERN TOR, the lowest of four hills which rise one after the other in a regular series. The others are respectively named LITTLE LONGAFORD, GREAT LONGAFORD, and WHITEN TOR. Crockern Tor was, of old, the Stannary House appointed by charter of Edward I. Four miles POST BRIDGE. Here the road crosses the Eastern Dart. Over the river, below Post Bridge, is thrown a Celtic bridge, consisting of three piers of rough blocks of granite, supporting a roadway of huge stones, each 15 feet by 6 feet. BEL TOR rises on the left, and on the right is LAKEHEAD POUND, enclosing two acres. There is a similar enclosure opposite HARTLAND TOR. Two miles. NEW HOUSE, a small inn, near a large rabbitwarren. To the right turns off a rugged path leading to VITTIFER MINE, and thence to GRIMSPOUND. Observe the remains (on the right) of an ancient stone cross. One mile. Traces of Celtic track-ways, hut-circles, and a pound, on the left of the road. Four miles. BECTOR CROSS, marking the intersection of the Chagford and Newton Abbots, and Exeter and Tavistock roads. [CHAGFORD (population, 1557. Inns: Three Crowns, and Globe Hotel) lies nearly 3 miles north-east, upon high ground which rises somewhat suddenly out of wooded vales and romantic hollows. In summer, it is a Devonshire elysium; in winter, a Devonshire hades-a difference which is significantly expressed in the local sayings:-In summer, it is "Chagford, and what d'ye think of it?" winter, "Chagford! Good Lord!" In Sidney Godolphin, a gallant cavalier, whom Clarendon calls " a young gentleman of incomparable parts," was slain in a skirmish at Chagford during the Civil War. The Three Crowns Inn was a dower-house attached to Whyddon Park, built by Judge Whyddon, temp. James I. The favourite excursions out of Chagford are to WHYDDON PARK, where a fine old house reposes among ancient oaks, beech, pine, elm, and fir;-GIDLEIGH PARK (Rev. A. Whipham), a most romantic domain-the very sovereignty of the Fairy Queen-where the Teign rushes over rock and crag, and, swollen by the waters of the Wallabrook, rolls majestically through shadowy hollows;-and the druidical memorials which surround KIS TOR. A scanty relic of a Norman Castle lends a a peculiar attraction to the village of GIDLEIGH.] Three miles MORETON HAMPSTEAD (population, 1858. Inns: White Hart, and White Horse: Market, Saturday), 183 miles from London-usually spoken of as MORTON—that is, Moor-town-is a small but clean, healthy, and orderly markettown, in a remarkably tranquil and sequestered position. Some years ago, its inhabitants observed a primeval simplicity in their manners and customs, and gave way to certain little superstitions which were evidence of their exceedingly secluded lives. Even now, there are few towns in England which retain more of the calm and contentment of antiquity. In the churchyard are remains of an old stone cross, and a vigorous but venerable elm tree, whose branches were formerly so trimmed and disposed of as to support a platform for dancers. The musicians were perched up in the higher boughs, and the dancers ascended to their leaf-embowered salon by means of a rude wooden ladder. Delicious lanes and blossomy hedge rows; hills all gay with golden furze; rippling brooks, and crystal shutes; quaint old gardens and trim pleasaunces; ferny hollows, and broad patches of sunny corn; meadows fertilized by plashy water-courses; arcadian valleys, brimfull of tranquil loveliness; these are aspects of nature which the tourist will contemplate with pleasure, and which abundantly diversify the neighbourhood of Moreton Hampstead. In every direction may be found a pleasant ramble, and ample occupation for the sketcher's pencil. The recesses of Dartmoor may well be explored from this point, or the tourist may make his way to CHAGFORD, and GIDLEIGH PARK, to DREWSTEIGNTON, FINGLE BRIDGE, and the MOVING STONE, to the lonesome valley of LUSTLEIGH CLEAVE, the BOVEY BROOK and its trout-abounding deeps; the Logan Stones, called the NUTCRACKERS; and the ivy-shrouded rock, called the RAVEN'S TOWER-to the early English pile of BRIDSFORD CHURCH-to LUSTLEIGH CHURCH, rich in Edwardian monuments-to the Celtic camps of WoOSTON and PRESTON (or Presson) BERRY-to the romantic seclusion of HOUNDTOR COOMB, and its fantastic rocks -and lastly, to the Perpendicular CHURCH of WIDDICOMBE-INTHE-MOOR. A final ramble should be taken through North Bovey to MANATON,* in a wonderfully wild and picturesque country side. Two miles. On the right of the road rises a swarthy-coloured rock, called the BLACK TOR. Three miles. DUNSFORD BRIDGE. A road on the right diverges to CHUDLEIGH, passing CHRISTOW and CANONTEIGN-the latter an elegant mansion, situated in a delightful demesne. The road on the left leads through DUNSTON to DREWSTEIGNTON. Seven miles. EXETER. [See p. 173.] [For the convenience of the tourist from EXETER to TAVISTOCK, we reverse our route, thus: * MAEN-Y-DUN, i. e., the stronghold of upright stones. [2 m. south of Two Bridges.] 4 m. = - 28 m. 4 m. = 32 m. 4 m. |