The Cross's of Dartmoor

Crossroads

When is a cross not a cross? simple, when it's a Dartmoor Cross. As with many things on the moor - nothing is as it ever seems. The 'cross' in this context simply denotes a junction of three or more roads/lanes. There are well over 200 specific named cross' on the moor which when considering the miles of roads and lane is nothing astounding. But just to confuse things there are also a large number of stone crosses on the moor which are also prefixed with the word 'cross'. If you really want a spanner in the works then some of the cross' also have stone crosses stood at them so you get for example; Sanduck Cross (road junction) and Sanduck Cross (wayside stone cross). How do folk know what's what, I don't know they just do. You will also find that the name of the cross is written vertically and fixed to the post. To save time and presumably money the 'cross' suffix is reduced to a black Maltese cross type symbol, so you actually see for example on the sign - Butts

There are some splendid names such as; Bethel Combe Cross, Brandiron Cross, Daisy Kingwell Cross, Firestone Cross, Pig's Leg Cross etc. and my favourite, probably because I used to pass it every day is Mucksy Lane Cross. Below is a list of the majority of the Dartmoor cross'.

Name	Location	Name	Location
ALSTON CROSS	SX 7761 7135	JORDAN CROSS	SX 7085 7512
ALSTON CROSS	SX 7761 7135	JURSTON CROSS	SX 6983 8518
AUSEWELL CROSS	SX 7390 7205	KELLY CROSS	SX 7905 8192
BARNE CROSS	SX 7625 8373	KINGS CROSS	SX 8044 8001
BARROW WAY CROSS	SX 6735 8957	KNOWLES CROSS	SX 7473 6960
BATWORTHY CROSS	SX 7082 8544	LANGSTONE CROSS	SX 7427 8170
BATWORTHY MILL CROSS	SX 7083 8547	LANGSTONE CROSS	SX 7614 7093
BEADON CROSS	SX 8155 8110	LEIGH CROSS	SX 6720 5742
BEATLAND CORNER CROSS	SX 5482 6240	LEIGH CROSS	SX 7050 6110
BECKAMOOR CROSS	SX 5347 7430	LEIGH CROSS	SX 8427 8090
BECKHAMS TREE CROSS	SX 8378 8360	LEIGHON CROSS	SX 7510 8017
BEETOR CROSS	SX 7130 8430	LETTAFORD CROSS	SX 7099 8409
BELSTONE CROSS	SX 6210 9369	LEWTHORN CROSS	SX 7795 7610
BERRY CROSS	SX 8077 8993	LEY CROSS	SX 7229 7948
BETHEL COMBE CROSS	SX 7872 7435	LITTLE CROSS	SX 7056 6968
BETHEL CROSS	SX 7822 7427	LIVATON CROSS	SX 6767 9351
BINNAMORE CROSS	SX 6873 6141	LOCKS GATE CROSS	SX 6963 7398
BIRCHANGER CROSS	SX 7728 7557	LOWER BLACKATON CROSS	SX 6978 7783
BLACKATON CROSS	SX 6976 7782	LOWER DOWN CROSS	SX 7990 7819
BLACKATON CROSS	SX 6783 8899	LOWERDOWN CROSS	SX 7990 7818
BLOODY POOL CROSS	SX ??? ???	LOWERY CROSS	SX 5487 6926
BOVEY CROSS	SX 7432 8470	MARDON CROSS	SX 8010 8395
BOWDOWN CROSS	SX 7243 6254	MARWOOD'S CROSS	SX 6788 5805
BRANDIRON CROSS	SX 8340 8092	MEAD CROSS	SX 7777 7118
BUDE CROSS	SX 6312 9477	MOON'S CROSS	SX 6524 9411
BUGSHEAD CROSS	SX 7341 8540	MOOR CROSS	SX 7040 6399
BULLATON CROSS	SX 8045 8230	MOORSHEAD CROSS	SX 7141 6310
BULLHORNSTONE CROSS	SX 6836 6023	MUCKSY LANE CROSS	SX 6947 8545
BURCHANGER CROSS	SX 7728 7557	NETHERTON CROSS	SX 7350 9105
BURROUGH CROSS	SX 7526 9102	OAKHILL CROSS	SX 6968 6068
BUTTS CROSS	SX 7000 7306	OWLACOMBE CROSS	SX 7649 7276
CATOR GREEN CROSS	SX 6798 7666	OXENHAM CROSS	SX 6628 9442
CHAGFORD CROSS	SX 6882 8830	PEAR TREE CROSS	SX 7504 6932
CHAGFORD CROSS	SX 7502 8643	PETER TAVY CROSS	SX 5081 7649
CHALLACOMBE CROSS	SX 6949 8306	PIGS LEG CROSS	SX 5284 8911
CHAPPLE CROSS	SX 6718 8902	PLACE CROSS	SX 7614 7093
CHERITON CROSS	SX 6808 5860	PLAY CROSS	SX 7058 6930
CHESTON CROSS	SX 6808 5860	POOLMILL CROSS	SX 8062 8205
CHURCH CROSS	SX 7391 6660	REDDACLEAVE KILN CROSS	SX 7041 6394
CLIFFORD CROSS	SX 7812 8983	REW CROSS	SX 7550 7076
COLD EAST CROSS	SX 7406 7420	REWDOWN CROSS	SX 7507 7110
COLESWORTHY CROSS	SX 8064 7589	REWLEA CROSS	SX 7550 7103
COMBESHEAD CROSS	SX 6391 5828	RIDGEY CROSS	SX 7120 6926
COSSICK CROSS	SX 7737 8612	RINGHILL CROSS	SX 6720 9416
COTTAMOOR CROSS	SX 5163 7617	ROCKPARK CROSS	SX 7650 7089
COTTLES CROSS	SX 5641 9330	ROUND CROSS	SX 7370 6682
COXHILL CROSS	SX 7310 6525	ROWDEN CROSS	SX 7015 7632
COXTOR CROSS	SX 5163 7617	ROWELL CROSS	SX 5130 8510
CREEK CROSS	SX 7728 7027	SANDHILL CROSS	SX 7445 8704
CRIPTOR CROSS	SX 5461 7225	SANDS GATE CROSS	SX 6979 9023
CROSS FURZES	SX 6988 6680	SANDUCK CROSS	SX 7663 8354
CUDDYFORD CROSS	SX 7573 7093	SANDYWAYS CROSS	SX 7203 8830
DAISY KINGWELL CROSS	SX 6192 5722	SHAPLEY CROSS	SX 6827 8509
DEAN CROSS	SX 7201 6285	SHAPTOR CROSS	SX 8154 8111
DOCCOMBE CROSS	SX 7731 8645	SHEWTE CROSS	SX 7954 7890
DOWNSTOW CROSS	SX 6919 6253	SHUTE CROSS	SX 6806 5827
DREWSTON CROSS	SX 7207 8757	SIGFORD CROSS	SX 7768 7525
DRUID CROSS	SX 7433 7079	SINGMOOR CROSS	SX 7192 8551
DRYFORD CROSS	SX 7010 7531	SLADE CROSS	SX 7990 8121
DRYWELL CROSS	SX 7010 7531	SMOKEY CROSS	SX 7723 7629
EAST ASH CROSS	SX 6800 9110	STAWELL'S BUSH CROSS	SX 7681 7093
EASTER LANE CROSS	SX 7106 7510	STICKLEPATH CROSS	SX 6437 9401
EASTON CROSS	SX 7190 8880	STIDSON CROSS	SX 7154 6038
FACTORY CROSS	SX 6941 8782	STINIEL CROSS	SX 7079 8553
FIRESTONE CROSS	SX 6679 9302	STONE CROSS	SX 7074 9101
FIVE CROSS	SX 7820 7492	STONE CROSS	SX 7195 7454
FIVE WYCHES CROSS	SX 8055 7830	SUMMERHILL CROSS	SX 7444 6961
FOUR CROSS	SX 7846 7535	THOMAS'S CROSS	SX 8145 8925
FOX & HOUND CROSS	SX 5252 8670	THORNS CROSS	SX 7303 8542
FULLAFORD POOL CROSS	SX 7339 6577	THROWLEIGH CROSS	SX 6687 9075
FURZLEIGH CROSS	SX 8196 7968	TIPLEYHILL CROSS	SX 7998 7571
GALLOWS PARK CROSS	SX 7720 7071	TONGUE END CROSS	SX 6231 9490
GEES CROSS	SX 5583 6670	TORHILL CROSS	SX 6860 9044
GIDLEIGH CROSS	SX 6724 8832	TORPEEK CROSS	SX 6604 5660
GINGAFORD CROSS	SX 7025 6244	TOWNSEND CROSS	SX 6482 9378
GOODSTONE CROSS	SX 7864 7202	TRENNAWAY CROSS	SX 7272 9083
GOOSEFORD CROSS	SX 6767 9184	TWO THORNS CROSS	SX 6781 7092
GRADDON CROSS	SX 5641 9330	UPPACOTT CROSS	SX 7379 8861
GREATWEEK CROSS	SX 7147 8760	WALLAFORD CROSS	SX 7232 6562
GREYSTONE CROSS	SX 7491 9152	WARREN'S CROSS	SX 5137 7335
HALL CROSS	SX 6247 5982	WATCHING PLACE CROSS	SX 7129 8419
HALSHANGER CROSS	SX 7581 7308	WAY DOWN CROSS	SX 7049 8598
HAM HILL CROSS	SX 7406 7420	WEDDICOTT CROSS	SX 7049 8598
HARBOURNEFORD CROSS	SX 7170 6225	WEEK CROSS	SX 7268 8511
HARESFOOT CROSS	SX 7370 7662	WELLSTOR CROSS	SX 7396 7210
HAWSON CROSS	SX 7104 6819	WHITE GATE CROSS	SX 6949 8880
HAYNE CROSS	SX 7506 8069	WHITEABURY CROSS	SX 7203 8849
HEATHFIELD CROSS	SX 5992 6016	WHITEY CROSS	SX 7042 6831
HEATREE CROSS	SX 7298 8097	WHITEY CROSS	SX 7655 6951
HELE CROSS	SX 6130 6103	WILLIS'S CROSS	SX 7997 7530
HELE CROSS	SX 7199 8473	WITHECOMBE CROSS	SX 6962 8931
HELE CROSS	SX 7452 7040	WOODHOUSE CROSS	SX 7943 7641
HEYTREE CROSS	SX 7298 8097	YALLAND CROSS	SX 6910 6270
HOCKMOOR HEAD	SX 7276 6733	YARNERPITTS CROSS	SX 6806 8893
HOOKS CROSS	SX 7790 7261	YELLANDS CROSS	SX 6983 8518
HORSEPIT CROSS	SX 7432 8470	YOLLAND CROSS	SX 693 633
HOSPIT CROSS	SX 7432 8470	ZEAL CROSS	SX 8135 8952
HOWTON CROSS	SX 7442 8705	ZEAL HEAD CROSS	SX 6482 9378
HUMPHREY'S CROSS	SX 7215 6932	ZEMPSON CROSS	SX 7155 6290

All across the country crossroads have always been viewed with some apprehension and are usually linked with weird goings on and Dartmoor is no exception. Some have burials associated with them such as the famous Jay's Grave and these tend to be suicides or villains. Other's are haunted by various spectres such as the Watching Place Cross and Bloody Pool Cross. Near to Lock's Gate Cross was supposed to have been the gallows which served the nearby manor of Spitchwick and it is said that the occasional ghostly apparition appears on suitably dark nights. At Bude Lane Cross there stands what is thought to be an early Christian stone called - 'The Honest Man', could this have been to provide some divine protection? Many of Dartmoor's cross' have been used in boundaries as markers along the limits such as Cross Furzes or Hawson Cross. A few years ago someone or some people decided it would be nice to start a collection of the cross's nameplates and many were stolen. One theory at the time was that they were being taken for their scrap metal value but I would have thought you would need a heap of them to make it worthwhile.

An excellent way to see the moorland fringes of Dartmoor would be to visit every cross