The Church Way

The track known as the 'Church Way' served the tenants of the tenements and farms in the eastern sector of the central basin of Dartmoor. The main track which runs from the Hartland, Merripit, Pizwell, and Runnage tenements is shown on the map below as are the branch tracks from Runnage, Pizwell, Merripit and Hartland.

The Church Way came into use after 1260 when the tenement owners petitioned to use the church at Widdecombe-in-the-Moor as opposed to the far off Lydford church. The petition was granted and this meant those normally using the Lych Way were now walking the Church Path. It is interesting to see that there are no known wayside crosses along the route of the way apart from an incised cross on a gatepost in Church Lane and another on the gateway to the prehistoric settlement at Grimspound, although this is above the line of the route. It is interesting to see from a 3D topographical map how the main track makes best use of the contours across what could be considered to be a hilly terrain:

As with the Lych Way there are several reports of ghostly funeral processions slowly winding their way across the northern section of the Church Way in the Greyhound Marsh area.