Some time ago in the summer of 2021 I did a series of posts about Modbury, a village in South Devon. When I researched the history for those posts I discovered mention of Runaway Lane. I had missed this treasure because it was behind the church and I hadn't walked that far. I decided that at some point I wanted to return to photograph it, so here we are.
Runaway Lane is a Green Lane, which means it is ancient, maybe 2000 years old or even older. It is how all roads looked a few hundred years ago, before the turnpike improvements of the early 19th century. Runaway Lane is also a holloway, as you will see.
Holloways are ancient roads that followed steep hills, which over time cut their way through the landscape by erosion and water runoff. I showed you another holloway earlier this week here.
It takes hundreds of years to form a holloway and they are evidenced by banks either side that rise very steeply, sometimes to a great height.
Another clue is that the ancient trees are rooted way above your head.
Green Lanes are just that. They have usually never seen tarmac and have rough cobbled surfaces, usually with tree cover, which form dark cool green tunnels in summer. This is one reason they have great fern and moss populations. Historically they were maintained by the local populace so they vary a lot in condition. Even today this lane is maintained by local volunteers, so that is part of the continuation of history right there.
This is the deepest part of Runaway Lane and at its deepest point the bank was about twenty feet above the road surface. I came at this time of year precisely because the leaf cover is not yet out, giving me better light conditions for photos. There is a faint hint of an earlier road level about half way up. I'm not sure why this happened but it's possible at that time there was a reduction in traffic or a change in the type of traffic. One theory I have is that until that point there was wheeled traffic using the lane which was wider than a single line of packhorses. As the holloway deepens it also becomes steeper near the top of the hill. Did heavily loaded carts pulled by horses find it harder and harder to get up the hill? Did single lines of pack horses carry on using it, making a narrower cutting and thereby leaving a shoulder along the side?
Why Runaway Lane?
The second Battle of Modbury took place in 1643 during the English Civil War, when the Royalist forces besieged Plymouth. Parliament sent a force to relieve Plymouth and their forces were 8000 strong and concentrated in Kingsbridge. An advance force were sent to Aveton Gifford where 2000 Royalists were guarding the bridge. The Royalists were driven back in battle, fighting field by field, all the way to Modbury, a distance of 4.4 miles, where, yet again they set up defensive positions in the Court House. The Royalists were severely beaten in a bloody battle and those who survived were forced to flee down a sunken lane leading south west from the church. This lane is still called Runaway Lane to this day.
More about the first Battle of Modbury here.
Was this carved by fleeing soldiers? Probably not. You would need a four hundred year old tree for that.
I am also not sure there were any Royalist soldiers called Darran or Carl. It looks like these may have been carved in 1973.
Back in Modbury High Street is this 14th century building which has been an inn since at least 1563. This was the meeting place for the Royalist forces before the start of the battle.
Comments