Childe’s Tomb is one of the most fascinating spots in Dartmoor, and also one of the most remote. These are the remains of a Bronze Age burial chamber, topped by a Medieval cross. It is not, as one may think, the tomb of a child: The word “childe” is derived from Saxon “cild”, a name for a nobleman or warlord.
The legend says that one such cild went hunting with some companions, but got lost and died here. In his testament he stated that his grounds should be bequeathed to any parish that buried him. The monks of Tavistock found the corpse first, arriving shortly before their rivals.
Walkers, riders and tourists who have been around the spot during the night or during a foggy day have reported that they could see slow a slow procession of monks carrying a bier and chanting in plainsong coming from there.
The tomb is located south of Foxtor Mire, a vast boggy expanse which was the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Great Grimpen Mire of The Hound Of The Baskervilles.