Location:
At the top of Southcombe Hill,
about ¾ mile to the south west
of Widecombe Church and where an established track crosses the road.
The stone is set into the roadside verge directly opposite the
entrance to the car park.
O/S
Grid Ref: SX/70767/76338
Longitude/Latitude (Degrees+/-): -3.82637/50.57244
Map location: Click
here
to view map.
Purpose: To mark the
point where
the Widecombe boundary meets those of the manors of
Jordon, Blackslade, Dunstone.
Size: The
face of the
stone measures 4 feet (1.22 metres) by 2 feet (0.61 metres).
It wouldn't be possible to measure the depth without disturbing the
ground around the stone. Both incised crosses are 13¾
inches (35
centimetres) high and 8¾
inches (22
centimetres) across the arms. The letters are 4¾
inches (12 centimetres) high.
Information: This
spot was at one time marked by two crosses cut into the turf beside
the road and the village lengthsman would regularly re-cut them to
ensure they remained clearly visible. Hence this place was
always known as 'Two Crosses in the Turf'. Another possibility as to
how the name of 'Two Crosses in the Turf' came about is that, at one
time, the site of
a fatal accident was marked by the cutting of a
cross. Could this have been the site of a double fatality?
In 2008, a Mr Whale donated
this
stone to the Dartmoor National Park Authority in order that a more
permanent feature could be placed here to mark the meeting of the
boundaries. The stone has a metal spike protruding from the
back edge, indicating that it was possibly a reused gatepost. In June 2008, Andy Cribbett, the National Park Authourity's
Stonemason, undertook to engrave the stone with the words 'TWO
CROSSES' accompanied by a cross on each side. The work was completed
later that month and a ceremony held on the 10th July 2008, when the
cross was placed in-situ and opened up to public viewing.
Just a few yards from the Two
Crosses stone, stands a plain boundary stone. Although this stone
has no inscription, it was erected to mark the boundary between the
manors of Widecombe Town and Dunstone. The Dunstone manor was bought
by Mr Robert Dymond in 1869 and he had promised to erect either a
double-headed cross or two separate crosses at this spot. Alas,
neither came to fruition. Later, in 1903, at a meeting of the
Commoners it was agreed that the Reeve would arrange for a boundary
stone to be placed at this spot and the records show that this was
eventually accomplished in April 1907, some 4 years later.
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