150 The Ancient Stone Crosses to which we have already alluded, indicating its direction ► But some two hundred years ago the track seems to have run just as the present road does. On Owen's map one of the objects marking the route from Two Bridges to Tavistock is a ** Great stone call'd Roundle." Now the Rundle Stone until a few years ago stood by the side of the highway, on the boundary line of the forest, which line it was mentioned as marking in 1702. From this it seems certain that tiie path which crossed the Blackabrook by the clapper at Fice's Well had given place at the beginning of the eighteenth century to the track on which the modern road was formed. The Rundle Stone was a pillar, seven feet in height and four in girth. On one of its faces, near the top, the letter R was cut in relief ; this was seven inches high. For some time I saw it being used as a gate-post, and it was afterwards to be seen lying by the wall close by. Now it has disappeared, and I can glean no tidings of it. It has left its name upon the spot where it stood for so long, and that is all that remains to us of this old way-mark. In the chapter on the Abbots' Way it was stated that a later path was formed upon that old road throughout its course from Long Ash Hill to Whitchurch Down.* At this part of it we have now again arrived, and shall find that such is proved by the existence of several guide stones on the former hill, of a period subsequent to the time of the monks. These have the letter A on one side of them and T on the other, denoting that they point the way to Ash- burton and to Tavistock. This track is in a line, or nearly so,, with that which we have mentioned as being formed by the menhir above Merivale, the Windypost, and the cross on Whitchurch Dowja.t The road we have followed from Moreton is referred to in a document of an earlier date than that of Owen's edition of Ogilby's book. Mr. R. N. Worth in a paper on Men and Manners in Stuart PlymouthyX gives a number of extracts
- p. 80, ante. The track trom Moreton, and from Ashburton, joined
the ancient Abbots' Way near the Rundle Stone, if the latter path ran, as we have supposed, to the eastward of North Hisworthy Tor. Jobbers' Cross was also in the vicinity, and k is not unlikely was the poimt where the paths met. f P- ^Oi ante. X Trans. Devon Assoc, vol. xv. p. 475.
