MOORLAND AND BOEDER CHURCHES IN DEVON. 405 
there was no key, that it had been lost some time ago, and that it 
had not been thought worth while to get another. As there are 
too many keys to most churches, and these churches are not as 
open as they might be, Sourton may be regarded as a model church 
in this respect. Of course the population of the immediate vicinity 
being extremely small, the privileges of an open church are not often 
taken advantage of by the residents ; nor are they sought, I expect, 
by the wandering moormen and wayside travellers as they doubt- 
less were some four centuries ago. 
This church is very small, the nave being only 15^ feet wide 
and 35 feet in length, and the aisle (on the north side) the same 
length as the nave, and but 8^- feet in width. The chancel is 
modern, and possesses no interest, excepting that an ancient squint, 
or hagioscope, as it is sometimes called — an oblique opening in the 
east wall of the aisle looking into the chancel — has been preserved. 
Its purpose was to allow of persons in the aisle seeing the eleva- 
tion of the Host at the high altar. The whole of the church, 
including the tower at the west-end of the nave, is Perpendicular, 
with the exception of the south porch, which is a part of an earlier 
church, and which contains an original holy-water stoup. A pe- 
culiarity of this little church is, that the windows are nearly all 
square-headed, of two narrow lights, cusped in the head. The tower 
is in three stages, and, though plain, is exceedingly effective and 
well proportioned. The doorway of the staircase is in the west wall 
of the church — an unusual position. The tower and the church 
are for the most part built of squared granite ashlar. But though 
so solidly and firmly constructed, nearly every stone tells its tale 
of the storms and blasts of centuries, there being scarcely a bit of 
cement or mortar to be seen in the joints, and all the angles are 
rounded off with wear and tear. 
The tower has five bells. — One, cast in 1776, has the motto — 
" I to the church the living call, 
And to the grave do summon all." 
This is frequently met with. 
A more uncommon one is that on a bell in Widdecombe-in-the- 
Moor tower — 
" Draw near unto God, and 
God will draw near unto you." 
The fullest information on the church bells of Devon is to be found 
in the valuable and complete work on that subject by my venerable 
