Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/420

 34S CROMLECH AT DREWSTEIGXTON, DEVON. The restoration ^Yas finished vn Friday, Ttli November, 1S62. I watched the excavation ot" the ground on which the Cromlech had stood for a jtoition of the time ; and had any remains been fonnd durinii; my absence, 1 feci no doubt that they would have been given to me or ^Ir. Pousford ; but nothing was discovered, and the ground did not differ from tliat of the adjoiiiiiii;- part of tiie field. To the west of the Cromlech several stone circles and avenues formerly e.xisted. I'olwhele, in his Historical Views of Devonshire, p. Gl, and IJistory of Devon, vol. i. j). 150, when describing the Cromlech, writes thus : — " Towards the west of the Cromlech are several conical pillars, about 4 ft. hiii-h. On the south side there are three, standing in a direct line from east to west. The distance from the most western to the middle is 212 paces, from the middle to that on the east lOG, just oncdialf of the former, by which it would seem that an intermediate pillar at least had been removed, in a jiarallel line to the north are two others remaining erect, the one from the other distant about 52 paces, nearly one-fourth of the greatest space on the oppo- site line. The area between is i>3 paces, in the midway of which, at the eastern extremit}'', stands the Crondech." lie further ailds (Historical View, p. 94 ; History of Devon, vol. i, p. 154): — "At Drcwsteignton the Cromlech is placed on an elevated spot overlooking a sacred way and two rows of pillars, and several cohnnnar circles." The Crondech was visited by " N. E." prior to 1796, by Lysons in 1807, and by Itowe prior to 1830, and these remains are not noticed by either of them, probably on account of the intervention of the lane. Whilst residing at Chagford, near the Crondech, IVom ls55 to 18G9, 1 carefully examined the fields where I ihought these remains were situate, and made many in- quiries, but I could not cither llnd tin; remains, or gain any information respecting them. In the sj)ring of 1872 jMr. King, of Crediton, who had also searched for these remains without success, informed me that the Uev. William (/rey ha lan ol' them, and the following description is copied from Mr. Crejs journal, containing the notes taken on the spot: — " Wednesday, 4th .Inly, ls:{S. 'isiteil first irttiii Moieton tin' Di'iiidicil circlr^ .iImim' Mi,' Cromlech. The Crondech lies in a fnld about I !<» yartls to the east.