The Clappers of Dartmoor

Clapper Bridges

'The Clappers of Dartmoor' sounds very much it should be followed by the "Bells of St. Martin's" but in this instance it refers to bridges. There are basically three ways to cross a river or stream, by way of a ford, stepping stones, (known on Dartmoor as 'Steps') and bridges. There are three types of bridge on the moor, the larger conventional bridge, wooden bridges which are called clams and clapper bridges. The term 'clapper' is said to have originated from the Old English/Celtic word cleac which meant a stepping stone. The Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology defines a clapper thus:

"A simple stone bridge made by setting stone blocks at intervals across a river to act as supports for a series of stone slabs laid end to end across the top... Often claimed as prehistoric because of their simplicity and rather primitive appearance, most clapper bridges in fact date to the period between the 14th and 19th centuries AD," Darvill, 2002, on-line source."

Clappers are by no means exclusive to Dartmoor, indeed probably the most famous example is that of Tarr Steps on Exmoor. This one was even commemorated in a set of stamps in 1968, as seen below:

The largest and possibly the oldest of the Dartmoor clappers is the one at Postbridge but there are numerous other examples to be found spanning the rivers, streams, and leats of the moor. All of the clappers are made from granite as its availability was endless. It is thought that many of the larger bridges were built on the old trackways of the moor, these were probably constructed by local farmers. Some of the clappers date back to medieval times and most of them are at least a couple of hundred years old. When you look at the larger ones it is hard to imagine that the innocent waters that babble under them can at times swell up and easily wash away the huge granite slabs. But in many instances this has been the case, hence the signs of repair or dilapidation.

The following are just a few of the larger clappers to be found on Dartmoor, it is estimated that there are probably in the region of 600 clappers which range from small single slabs to the large cyclopean clapper at Postbridge.

Avon Clapper - SX 65708 66193.

(this drawing was done by Eric Spicer who I consider to be one of the best Dartmoor artists around. He works entirely with a Bic biro and as can be seen the results are stunning).

Bellever Clapper - SX 65843 77323.