48 The Ancient Stone Crosses Opposite the church is the village inn, the White Thoni, where formerly was to be seen a peat fire that had not been extinguished for a great number of years. I remember the landlord telling me in 1873, ^^^^ ^^ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^®° living theie over twenty years, and that he had kept it burning during that time, and his predecessor had told him that for a similar period he also had not suffered it to go out. A road leads from the village down the steep side of the common to Shaugh Bridge, the romantic surroundings of which have earned for it a more than local fame. Its neigh- bourhood was a favourite resort of the poet Carrington, who in some charming lines has pictured it at the close of a beautiful summer day. Retracing our steps, or, if we choose, taking an alternative route from the village, we regain the road, and resume oar walk, with the enclosed country on the left. On nearing a grove of trees we shall observe, reared against the hedge of Shaden Brake, what appears to be a short cross, but which is really the upper portion of a large one. For years it lay on the ground, and formed the bottom stone of a stile formerly at this place. It is of very rude workmanship, and measures three feet from the top of the head to where the shaft is frac- tured, but there are probably some three or four feet' of the latter missing. It is twenty- two inches across the arms, which spring some four inches from the shaft, and one of these is broken. It is this cross that I suggest may have belonged to the base we examined at Beatland Corner. The shaft would just fit the socket, it being nearly fifteen inches wide, and about nine inches thick. It is true that some little distance now separates them, but there are instances of crosses on the moor, and on its borders, having been removed even further from their original position ; the cross at Sheepstor is an instance, and another is afforded by a cross on Terhill, in the south quarter of the forest. The measurements seem to lend colour to the supposition, as also doe% the style of workman- ship, the cross and the socket-stone both being of a rude type. Shortly after passing the cross we commence the descent towards the Plym, on reaching which we meet the road we have already traced from Ivy bridge and Corn wood. We shall cross the stream by the bridge, about the true name of which there seems to be some uncertainty. Cadaford
