In the June of 1884 a party of women from Tavistock treated themselves to a day trip on Dartmoor. Amazingly enough this was to be the first time some of them had been up on the Moor despite living just a few miles away. “We were told that this year …

Dartmoor is infamous for it’s quaking bogs and impenetrable mists and fogs but not that long ago there was another peril – dust – or to use the Devonshire vernacular ‘pillum’. This was the scourge of many a town and village street, especially during the hot and windy summertime. The …

When travelling along the road from Lydford to Brentor you will be on what at onetime was an old turnpike road belonging to what was the Tavistock Trust who oversaw the road from Tavistock over Dartmoor. About 350 metres beyond the second turning for North Brentor you will pass a …

“Water colours by F. J. Widgery are an acquisition to any gallery. He has devoted himself whole-heartedly to the charms of the West of England scenery. His sensitive colouring and “live” feeling are revealed in beautiful pieces of work.” – 1927. If asked who is my favourite Dartmoor artist of …

During the winter months Dartmoor can be a magical place for a ramble with unbelievable views of the landscape. However, there can be exceptions especially when snow, fog, ice, along with short days are all concerned. What follows is an account from 1891 detailing the horrors that those conditions can …

Beatrice Chase was a well known if not eccentric Dartmoor authoress who liked to be known as “My Lady of the Moor”. Over the years she made numerous trips to the elusive Cranmere Pool and in 1929 she enlisted the aid of the famous Dartmoor guiding family – the Perrots. …

Possibly one of the most popular inns on Dartmoor is the Warren House Inn located above the old Vitifer mines. Just past the inn are some old foundation walls of which used to be the early predecessor of the inn known as the Newhouse Inn. This inn was burnt down …

Today Moretonhampstead is a bustling town popular with tourists and locals alike. Over the centuries it has had its fair share of excitement but nothing can rival the events which took place in 1838 and 1845. At that time many of the dwellings and business establishments had what today would …

“The Moors, at this season of the year, offer peculiar attractions to the tourist, and it is solely with the desire that I may show those who do not at present know of their capabilities as healthful and interesting places that I venture to put a few of my observations …

  A vital part of any harvest on Dartmoor was storing the crop until it was needed for processing or feed and bedding. Due to the small size of many farmsteads it was not possible in the barns and linhays so the answer was to build ‘ricks’. Numerous crops would …