412 
JOUBNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
only two centuries and a half ago, describes the natives of a village 
near the church as a lawless tribe, wild as the ancient Scythians. 
There is another tradition, which ascribes the erection of the church 
to a merchant, who, overtaken by a storm at sea, vowed that if 
saved he would build a church upon the first point of land which 
should appear in sight. This happened to be Brent Tor, and here 
accordingly he fulfilled his vow in a manner, it must be admitted, 
consistent with economy, the church being both small and plain. 
An ornate structure, however, would have been out of place here ; 
and the existing building has always been found sufficiently com- 
modious. The building consists of a nave about 38 feet long and 
about 15 feet wide, with a tower open to it at the west end about 
8 feet square inside, and a porch on the north side. There is no 
developed chancel, but the pavement at the eastern end is raised 
one step. The simple parallelogram is covered with a very low- 
pitched roof of stout oak timbers, boarded and laid with heavy 
lead. The wall plates rest on plain corbels. The little tower, 
externally 11£ feet by 12£ feet, though such a striking object 
from a distance, is only about 32 feet high. 
Some writers, in speaking of this church, state that there was a 
church on this tor as early as 1283, and suggest that a second 
edifice was afterwards built. Prom a careful examination of the 
fabric, I am led to believe that the present, with a few later in- 
sertions, is the original church. The general character of the 
masonry is Early English. The parapet is corbelled in that style, 
and the small lancet windows and segmental doorways belong to 
the same period. The walls of the little church are about three 
feet in thickness. The masonry is of dark-brown ironstone, with 
dressings of the beautiful greenstone found in the neighbourhood 
of Tavistock. 
Sampford Spiney and Walkhampton Churches illustrate the two 
leading plans of South Devon and Moorland Churches. "Walkhampton 
consists of a nave with double aisles and chancel, and Sampford 
Spiney of a nave with a single aisle, transept, and chancel. The 
latter arrangement being best adapted to a small church, is more 
commonly found in these Moorland churches. An interesting ex- 
ample of this class is Heavy Church, which was probably founded 
by the family de Mewi. Grants under this name to the religious 
houses of Plyinpton and Buckland, c. 1202 and 1214, are extant, 
but the individuals cannot be determined. The chancel and a little 
