Tag Archives: Dartmoor

During one of his banishments from the royal court, Piers Gaveston is said to have hidden himself on Dartmoor until which time it was safe to return. Local legend has it that during his time on Dartmoor he ventured out to Crazywell Pool. His purpose for visiting the pool was …

Place-Names – Toponymy: the study of the origin and history of names, and in this case the words that make up place-names.  In some circles the word ‘Toponym’ has replaced the word -place-names. I find this a fascinating subject and often when driving around I come across a strange village …

Visiting Dartmoor’s noted landmarks for the first time is always an exciting experience and something that lodges pleasant thoughts in the library of the mind. I can remember such thing when I first went up to the Grey Wethers stone circles. I have stumbled across this similar visit paid to …

The sheep are coming home apiece Hark the bells on every hill Flock by flock and fleece by fleece Wandering wide a little piece Thro’ the evening red and still Stopping where the pathways cease Cropping with a hurried will Before the advent of the railways and motorised vehicles the …

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again,” this could well be a motto of one John Michael Gasken, a prisoner serving time at Dartmoor Prison. In the February of 1931, he along with another prisoner, John Mullens effected an escape from the prison. Both remained at …

Whilst trawling through some old publications in the hope of coming across some mention of a topic I’m researching I came across a brief and totally unrelated piece which has now sidetracked me. It was written in 1902 and referred to an ancient cross that somebody had discovered which, like …

  Today it’s easy to drive around the roads of Dartmoor apart from the fact that at the slowest speed of 40 miles per hour, usually with other vehicles following behind, it’s impossible to absorb the many interesting facets that the Moor has to offer. Imagine then being able to …

There was an old tradition in the Dunsford area that when a dwelling was left unoccupied a ghost would come down the chimney and take up residence in the house. On Friday Aug 7th, 1874 the following case was heard at Crockernwell Assizes and as the evidence was revealed it …

I once knew an old farm labourer who worked on a farm near Lustleigh, who sadly is no longer with us but who always wore a strange ring. It had a shiny stone set in it whose colour was hard to describe, the nearest likeness would be that murky green …

In the December of 1881 John Bray from Chudleigh, then aged 59, was arrested and charged with stealing  some horse hair along with other items from an outhouse at Bickington.  That same month he appeared at Ashburton Assizes charged charged with the offences and was  committed for trial at the …