Aspects Of Dartmoor

According to William Crossing this is probably the most boring page on this website, in the section headed “Terms used in connection with the Forest and Commons,” he has the following to say about ‘pools’: “… there are a number of pools, and so-called pools, on the moor, not one …

But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee – Psalm 55:23 I recently received an email asking for some information regarding ‘Turpin’s Pit’ which is a topic that …

On the 19th of December a news report from the Tavistock Times noted how the familiar old telephone box at Postbridge was in danger of disappearing. This famous old kiosk is one of 41 in the West Devon area that BT want to take away as presumably they are not …

The northern part of Dartmoor is the source of several rivers and most of the high land is termed ‘blanket bog’ or Fen. Anybody who has tried to cross the heart of the Fen will know that if on foot it can be a ‘pig’ to traverse especially in wet …

Dartmoor Peat is not a person although some letterboxers may dispute that fact, obviously we are talking about the very substance of the moor. Throughout the centuries this valuable commodity has fuelled the early industries, warmed the moorfolk’s cotts, cooked their food and has also been used to make by-products …

What is a park? This seems a ridiculous question because today a park is an open space with public access that is managed, some are free to enter whilst others charge a fee. There are theme parks, wildlife parks, public parks, even car parks and of course national parks such …

  Olfactory Dartmoor or The Smell of the Moor, this probably sounds the weirdest webpage to put on this website but I implore you to stick with it as all will come clear. First stop shows the power of advertising, today Tesco sent their monthly voucher pack which I normally …

Probably ever since early man first decided to change from a nomadic lifestyle to that of a communal dweller there have been rivalries between neighbouring settlements. Very often these grudges have been harboured down through the generations until there comes a point that nobody knows why. Even so each generation …

Dartmoor is known for many things and people see it in various ways but for whatever combination you use the situation arises where you have a vast tract of land and people wishing to see it. This produces a need for those visitors to be able to navigate themselves either …

Now and again whilst thumbing through various Dartmoor books one will come across a brief mention of the moss gatherers of the early 1900s. There can be no question as to the vast supply of sphagnum moss on Dartmoor even though it is said to be decreasing today. Very little …