Widecombe Two Crosses Cross

Browse crosses

 
 
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.