Ever since mankind reverted from hunter gathering to permanent settlement there was a need to define tribal lands. As time progressed the ‘lands’ became manors, parishes etc and there was always a need to claim the rights of ownership which distinguished these lands from their neighbours. On Dartmoor the …

  “Meldon Viaduct hung like a spider’s web spun of silver above the mists of the gorge. Arms fell from it to the darkness below, and the whole, fraught with night’s own magic, possessed a beauty of its own —a beauty higher than the inherent beauty of perfect adaptation to …

  Here is a strange tale that was in circulation in 1892 and tells of a sportsman’s experience whilst out on Dartmoor in pursuit of game. There is a strong connection, as far as locality and characters go between fact and reality as will be seen later. “I had been …

Christmastime is never complete without a ghost story and this one dates back to 1847 and relates the terrifying experience one lone traveller had whilst travelling across Dartmoor. Nobody can ever prove or disprove such stories but as far as this particular traveller goes what you are about to read …

  Whilst trawling through some old newspapers I came across this account of a ‘Dartmoor Christmas’ written in 1899 and if you yearn for a nostalgic portrayal of a simple but happy Christmas then read on. There will be no mention of children staring intently at Ipad screens, adults checking …

  Dartmoor Ivory – now before anyone wonders, there are not or have there ever been any herds of wild elephants roaming Dartmoor but back in 1925 somebody was making a living from ornaments and jewellery from ‘Dartmoor Ivory’. I recently came across the following article which appeared in the …

  Some folks will say the piskies are good and others that they are mischievous nuisances and I am saying nothing. But there was a piskie called ‘Leg Ends’ that both humans and little folk detested. The reason he was called ‘Leg Ends’ was because at the end of every …

“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 …

  Sitting on top of Ter Hill are two granite crosses (known locally as the ‘Terhill Posts‘) which at onetime marked the old monastic track which ran between the abbeys of Tavistock to Buckfast. They are part of a line of 12 other such crosses which acted as guideposts for …

  Of all of the tracks on Dartmoor the oldest is probably the one that runs from near Holne moorgate in the west to Cockle’s Gate in the east. Today the distance is about 7 miles but it may originally have been a mile or two longer. What marks this …