Aspects Of Dartmoor

‘Learn a lesson from this dial, Dwell not on the past; Greet the present with a smile, For future cannot last.’ Many will argue that the first use of a sundial began way back in prehistoric time in the form of the stone rows, circles and menhirs which acted as …

  Christmas 1927, will be noted for the ‘Great Blizzard’ which swept the country from end to end. Christmas Day opened damp and gloomy, but during the late afternoon there was a sudden change in the weather, and towards night the wind rose and the rain quickly changed to blinding snow. …

  “Down the slopes are scattered in wild confusion huge blocks of splintered granite, locally known as ‘clatters’ or ‘clitters.’ Some of these blocks must weigh scores of tons, and the eye is bewildered by their picturesque disorder and varied forms. Frequently the loveliest ferns fill the interstices, and lichens, …

  If you have ever watched Tony Robinson’s programme about the worst jobs in history you will have seen some very horrendous careers. However, there was one that didn’t appear in the series and that was the job of a Dartmoor sett maker. I would imagine that in these days …

  Today, the small Bellever Youth Hostel does an excellent job of concealing its agricultural past and royal associations. It was only whilst delving through old copies of the Times newspaper that I realised how important the old farm was. Hemery, says very little about the later history of the …

“I grew up during the Cold War, when everything seemed tenuous. For many years, right up until the fall of the Berlin Wall, I had vivid nightmares of nuclear apocalypse – Justin Cronin.” Monitoring Posts were underground structures which were placed at strategic locations across the United Kingdom. Their purpose …

  Since Christmas I have received several messages or email like this one; “Dear Legendary Dartmoor, I would like to film some aerial footage of Dartmoor with my drone and was wondering if there are any restrictions laid down by the National Park Authority as to where I could or …

Providing services to remote areas such as Dartmoor has always been a challenge and none more so that ensuring the adequate supply of electricity, especially in the cold winter months. Back in the 1950s the local newspapers often had reports of power cuts, especially in the Princetown area. Such as …

These days nobody pays any particular attention to aircraft flying over Dartmoor, perhaps if it’s a military helicopter or RAF fighter plane they might draw a bit more attention but on the whole such an event is an everyday occurrence. But just imagine if you had never seen an aeroplane …

“The whip is held in superb style, The reigns are well in hand, The horses full of pluck and breed, The coach is some what grand. The driver studies one and all, And does without tobacco, Or he can smoke a nice cigar, But asks permission first tho’.” The above …