MOORLAND AND BORDER CHURCHES IN DEVON. 
401 
aDd the tracery of the two-light windows (executed in Polyphant 
stone), evidently belongs to an earlier church. 
Nearly all the existing churches of the district, it may be 
remarked by-the-by, show evidences of earlier foundations ; and it 
seems likely that all the parishes shortly after the Norman conquest 
possessed small churches, chiefly cruciform in plan. One of these 
I shall hereafter describe. 
In Peter Tavy Church is a good octagonal Perpendicular font of 
granite, with geometrical patterns and devices, carved in panels on 
each side. One of the symbols is the keys of St. Peter crossed. 
There was formerly a very fine rood screen in this church, but 
the remains of it, when the church was restored a few years ago, 
were not replaced; I suppose, because they were too decayed. 
Some sound fragments still exist, and are to be seen at the west 
end, near the tower arch. The original colours are still on them, 
and the vermilion and gold are even now remarkably bright. On 
one of the panels is a painting of St. llary Magdalen with the 
alabastrum ; on another St. Joseph with a carpenter's square ; on 
another St. Paul with a sword ; and on another a representation of 
Peter the patron saint. Under the tower arch have been fixed 
the remains also of several elaborately carved wood panels, which 
are parts of what would appear to have been a very curious and 
almost unique post-reformation screen, which, I was given to 
understand, stood in front of the older screen before the church 
was altered. 
The rood, it will be remembered, was a cross or crucifix, and was 
erected over the screen at the entrance to the chancel. Often it 
was of large size, and frequently on either side were the figures of 
St. John and the Blessed Virgin. 
Lights were often placed in front of these roods, especially on 
certain festivals of the church. 
" When that he to the kyrke come, 
To-fore the rode he kneld anon, 
And on hys knees he fell." 
This rood, or rode, was supported either by a beam called the rood- 
beam, or by a gallery called the rood loft, over the screen. It 
was approached from the inside of the church, generally by a 
small stone staircase, which is found in nearly all these churches, 
even where there are no remains of the screen itself. 
2 R 
