THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 183 



various stages of modern enclosure can easily be 

 traced in some places, because where an enclosure 

 was authorised, a gate was allowed to be put across 

 the roadway — as Comer's Gate, Mountsey Hill 

 Gate, Scob Hill Gate, and numerous others — 16 

 prevent sheep straying from the common. Where- 

 ever there was in old days a gate there were naturally 

 two breastworks and gateposts to hang it to. As 

 the enclosure encroached on the waste the gates 

 were moved further on up the road, but the old 

 breastwork remains, jutting out from the bank on 

 each side. There is one just above Highercombe 

 Farm, and there are several in Ash Lane leading up 

 from Winsford, and one in Stone Lane ; but even 

 these must be comparatively modern — in early times 

 there can have been little or no permanent enclosure 

 away from the homesteads. 



That every man and woman in the district rode on 

 horseback goes without saying ; wheeled vehicles 

 were unknown till quite recent times : there were 

 no roads for them to travel on. 



The ancient roadmaker followed the ridge of hills ; 

 hence the frequent terms " Ridgway" and " Redway " 

 in country places ; and the earliest we can trace ran 

 along the coast to Lynton and thence by County 

 Gate, where it was commanded by the fortification 

 above Glenthorne, and followed the present line of 

 the coach road to Hawkcombe, where it probably 

 forked as it does now, one branch leading to Porlock 

 and Dunster, the other running by Alderman's Barrow 



