U.J Of Dafimoor and its Borderland, 103 base than at the arms. The stone has been disturbed, being now in a slanting position, and only partly buried in the ground. Our way is here seen as a distinctly marked path, and is crossed by another, which is now used by the moor farmers in going from the neighbourhood of Hexworthy to Brent. This latter track runs from Cumston or Combestone Tor, to the higher part of the old working connected with Ringleshutts Mine, and crossing Sandy Way goes direct to the Mardle, a little stream which flows by Scoriton. This it crosses at a place called Hapstead Ford, and thence trending along the side of the hill, passes the bottom of a rocky gully known to the moor-men as Snowdon Hole, and so onward by Pupers to Water Oke Comer. Here the Abbots' Way must have passed, although it is not traceable across the turf at this particular spot, but, as already stated, is plainly to be seen at the ford below Brock Hill Mire, a little more than half a mile distant. It is also to be observed in the opposite direction, pointing to a ford at Cross Furzes. The path to Brent goes onward to the enclosed country at Dockwell Gate. Horn's Cross was probably erected on the spot where we now find it lying in a shattered condition, not only to mark the path across the forest, but to show where the branch diverged to Widecombe, and also where it was crossed by the Brent path.* The track we have followed from Lowery we shall be able to trace to a ford known as Workman's Ford, not far below Ringleshutts Mine, whence it went direct to Holne. It was the belief of the labourer — William Mann, of Hexworthy — who discovered the cross on Down Ridge near the ford, that there was also a cross somewhere on Holne Moor, but he was not absolutely certain of it. Such may exist in a fallen state, but I have never been able to find it. — ^— ^^^^^^^^^^^^.^^^^^^^^^^^^^ H I ■■■■■■■■■- II. I ■■»»■■ I —_-■■■ ■III ■■■■■■■■■I Mill
- Many years ago a fanner of Staddicombe. in Holne parish, used to
pasture a flock of sheep with a moorman of the south quai-ter of the forest, and these were always gathered at Horn's Cross. Here the process of counting, or ^telling." was gone through, and from this circumstance the spot came to be known as Stacombe Telling-place. I gathered this about twenty-five years since from a moorman who had lived in the south <iuarter ail his life. It is an instance of how a number of the place-names of Dartmoor have originated .
