110 ANTIQUARIAN INVESTIGATIONS ON DARTMOOR. 



mentioned. Its site is on the slope of the common, inclining to 

 the south-west, and the ground over which the houses are scat- 

 tered is of considerable extent, on both sides of the road. The 

 principal relics in this village have been already noticed under 

 their respective heads ; and among these, the avenues by their 

 singular appearance will immediately strike the observer. Their 

 direction is towards the river; they are in immediate connexion 

 with sacred circles, the northern terminating in one, and the 

 southern having another at mid-length : they are in apparent re- 

 lative connexion with the larger sacred circle and maen on the 

 south. From these circumstances the avenues will afford the 

 best central station for describing the position of the several relics 

 of this ancient settlement. 



About twenty-four yards S. of the S. avenue, is an imperfect 

 cairn of small dimensions ; one hundred yards S., a circle, — diame- 

 ter sixty-seven feet, stones ten, height not exceeding eighteen 

 inches. S. of the maen is the circle already described, and sixty- 

 .six feet S. of the avenue, the fallen cromlech before mentioned. 



N. E. by N. of the avenues is a Cyclopaean inclosure or pound ; 

 differing essentially from Grimspound and others in the construc- 

 tion of the fence — this consisting cliiefly though not entirely, of 

 upright stones, while at Grimspound they are rudely piled toge- 

 ther. Advantage has been taken of the natural position of some 

 huge blocks in forming this singular fence ; the form approaches, 

 though imperfectly, to a circular figure; mean diameter one hun- 

 dred and seventy-five feet. At the upper or E. end is a vast 

 block — a fair edge forming one wall of some interior enclosure, 

 having remains of walls at right angles. In front of this, distant 

 thirty feet, is a large quoit-like stone, sixteen feet by nine feet 

 eight, which as the impost, with three others, formed the group 

 before alluded to as the possible ruins of a second cromlech of 

 very large dimensions. There are hut circles or foundations of 

 dwellings within, and immediately without, the inclosure, of a 

 large size, and of the description already given, as are the other 

 hut circles throughout the village, which extends about a mile 

 along the side of the hill; on the highest point of which. Great 

 Mistor (with its fine rock basin) overlooks the whole. There are 

 many tumuli in the neigli hour hood, one of which was opened, 

 but nothing was found to repay the search. 



Nearly a furlong from Black tor, in the glen below, are the 

 avenues before mentioned, on the eastern bank of the stream. 

 The N. avenue terminates in a circle, consisting of fifteen slab-like 



