Page:Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries.djvu/432

 Of Dartmoor and its Borderland. 63. seen what has been thought to be the upper portion of the Auckland Cross. It now serves the purpose of a gate-post. In shape it is octagonal and stands thirty-nine inches above the ground, tapering very slightly. At the top it is thirty- four inches in girth. Hinges fixed into it, which are not now used, show that it has also been made to serve as a gate-post in some other position. In the valley on our left as we return over Roborough Down, lies the large village of Horrabridge. Built into the northern parapet of the bridge which there spans the Walk- ham is a granite stone having an incised cross upon it, over ti¥o feet in height, the lines being some three or four inches wide. The stone fills up the whole thickness of the parapet. On nearing the Rock Hotel a lane will be observed leading from the down on our right. This will conduct us to the village of Meavy, passing through which once more we again reach Marchants Cross, from which object our investigations will now lead us to Sheepstor. We have stated in a former chapter that there are grounds for believing that Marchants Cross once bore another name. One of the six crosses we have mentioned as marking at certain points the bounds of the lauds given to the Abbey of Buck- land, is Smalacumbacrosse. Though we cannot identify with absolute certainty the bound mentioned in the deed which immediately precedes it, there are others named in such close connection as to leave no doubt whatever that it must at least have stood in the immediate vicinity of the spot on which Marchants Cross is reared. Not only does the boundary of the parish of Sheepstor come down to this point, but close to it is a little lateral valley still bearing the name of Smalla- combe. While therefore we may not deem the evidence conclusive, it certainly appears highly probable that Marchants Cross and Smalacumbacrosse are one and the same. This supposition will be strengthened if we consider that we can identify the brook that runs into the Mew a short distance from the cross as the Smalacumbalak, or lake, men- tioned in the deed. As it flows from the valley bearing that name we can indeed hardly come to any other conclusion. Leaving for a time this fine old cross (for we shall return to it in order to resume our journey over the monks* road to Sampford Spiney) we continue on our way, and shall soon find