Original - The MAN & Other Families

1 6 The Ancient Stone Crossescircular pavement, about six feet nine inches in diameter.May we not allow that there is a probability that this inscribedstone marks the spot where, in years long since flown, the oldcross was standing, and that it was set up, after the removalof the latter, as a memorial of itby those who wereinterested in preserving these particular bounds ? I do notforget that the map represents Hobajon's Cross as being in thecentre of the stone-row, and this stone as I have said, is at itsend ;but the row is continued from this point by modernboundary stones, and in all probability was so continued byolder bond-marks at the time the map was drawn, so that ifthe cross really stood on the spot in question, in placingit inthe middle of the row, the map would be substantially correct.There is one consideration we must not overlook, which is,that it would not have been a very difficult task to removethe cross from Three Barrows, and to have re-erectedit in the row, instead of setting up another stone there in itsplace. But it is not unlikely that it was found to be broken,though perhaps not in such a mutilated state as we see itnow, and was no longer in a condition to be placed in its oldposition.The view from the commanding height of Three Barrows,or as old records have it, Threberis, is one of great varietyand beauty. A large portion of the country lying betweenthe southern frontier of Dartmoor and the Channel is spreadout before us, and most of the prominent headlands on theSouth Devonshire coast are plainly visible. On the otherside we look into the moor. Away to the northward isseen the boggy land in the neighbourhood of Erme Head,with the distant tors peeping over the dark brown ridges.Westward the river flows at a great distance below thewind-swept height on which we stand, and Piles Wood isdiscernible far down the steep, stretching along the bankof the stream.Before leaving Three Barrows we must not omit toobserve the fine reave, or boundary bank, which runs up fromthe East Glaze to the centre cairn, and pursuesits coursedown the slope of the hill towards a little stream that fallsinto the Erme.Proceeding in a northerly direction we shall make ourway to Western Whitaburrow, one of the bounds of the