116 ANTIQUARIAN INVESTIGATIONS ON DARTMOOR. 



west pile; a second, parellel to the last, ends in a smaller tor W. 

 of the great tor. Another, intersecting the second, has for some 

 distance the appearance of an avenue, two hundred and thirty-six 

 yards long, but gradually dwindling into a line; having at its 

 southern end a trackline, at right angles. 



N. W. of Heytor, Holwell tor presents a walk of one hun- 

 dred yards, at least from one hundred to one hundred and fifty 

 feet wide, between walls of granite, rising to one hundred feet in 

 the highest part. Below Rippon tor, the second of the Dartmoor 

 hills, a trackway forms an object so conspicuous, as to be taken 

 at first for a modern fence. Descending the side of Rippon tor, 

 it crosses a road leading from Heytor, and the road from Ashburton 

 to Chagford. Many of the stones in this trackway are unusually 

 large and high; presenting, from this circumstance, more of the 

 fence, and less of the causeway character, than any before noticid. 

 Near the trackway are two hut circles, the slabs of which are large 

 and closely set ; the largest, thirty feet diameter ; tlie other circle 

 eighteen feet diameter, having one door-jamb, four feet high ; the 

 former containing a dilapidated kistvaen. 



Torrhill, W. of the trackway, has its declivity partitioned into 

 rectangular inclosures by tracklines; many of these inclosures 

 contain hut circles. 



A circular inclosure, as large as Grimspound, occupies one 

 portion of the face of the hill, and contains hut circles. Both the 

 hut circles and inclosure are much dilapidated, and one fourth of 

 the eastern circumference of the latter has disappeared. The wes- 

 tern side of the hill, looking towards Widecombe, has some cir- 

 cles of erect stones,- closely set, in the act of being demolished for 

 repairing the road ! 



The road to Chagford runs along the high moorlands, above 

 Widecombe church-town, adjoining which, a trackway may be 

 traced pursuing the same direction. 



Yartor, on the opposite side of the dales of Widecombe, looks 

 down upon Dartmeet bridge, the point where the parishes of 

 Widecombe, Holne, and Lidford meet. This tor has two courses 

 of natural rock, (similar to Putor) on the north and south. The 

 west side has a low, rude fence, formed of granite blocks ; and 

 the eastern has a similar breastwork, though less perfect, and 

 somewhat in advance of the parellel courses on the other sides of 

 the tor. The whole conformation })resents a rude but grand in- 

 closure, conveying the idea of a natural temple, admirably adap- 

 ted to the wild and mystic rites of a dark and superstitions wor- 

 ship. 



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