Page:Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries.djvu/411

 46 The Ancient Stone Crosses octagonal in shape, and measures four feet across the centre, and is over a foot thick. The socket that received the shaft is not quite square, being fifteen inches by thirteen, and about nine inches deep. The stone lies on a mound, and originally stood upon an elevated octagon, as is shown by four large stones close to it. These have been roughly hewn into shape, and it would seem that there must originally have been ei^fat of them, forming a foundation of about eight feet across, so that there would be a step of about two feet in width around the socket stone. The latter has evidently not been moved away from its place, although the despoilers of this interesting^ memorial have partly raised it from its bed. Not very far off to the E.N.E. is Collard Tor, and Pen Beacon with Shell Top rising behind it are also prominent objects in the view. In the opposite direction the eye rests upon the woods of Mount Edgcumbe, and looking nearly north-west, the pinnacles or Bickleigh church tower can be seen, peeping over the hill two miles away. Bickleigh is not strictly speaking a Dartmoor parish, that is to say, no part of it lies upon the moor, but it is nevertheless in the Dartmoor country, and it will be necessary for us to visit it, as there is a very fine cross in the village. But this we shall do later on, when we come to examine another group of crosses, and for that purpose shall return to this ancient way-mark. At present we leave it and pass up the lane to Niel Gate. Here we enter upon the moor, which the road skirts for some distance. But we shall not now pursue it very far, for upon reaching the further corner of a plantation, and within a quarter of a mile of the gate, we shall find that a road diverges to Shaugh, and we shall turn a little from our way in order to visit that village. The point we have reached is known as Beatland Corner — usually called Binlin*s Comer — and here formerly stood another of the crosses marking the tract we have been following from Piympton, and also indicat- ing the point at which the wayfarer should leave it, if journey- ing to Shaugh. Now, all that is to be seen is the base, or stone in which the shaft was fixed. It stands on the verge of the common, close by the road, and is very nearly two feet square. The socket, which is not now quite intact, the edge of the stone being broken, is very large, being fifteen inches by twelve, and is seven inches deep. There is no trace of the