“The huge and solitary but featureless elevation of Cater’s Beam on Dartmoor arrests few eyes. Seen from the central waste, one hog-backed ridge swells among the southern horizon, and its majestic outline, unfretted by tor or forest, describes the curve of a projectile discharged at gentle elevation. No detail relieves …

High up, near the Challacombe ridge is a deep gash in the moorside which is known as ‘Chaw Gully’. Some estimates go as far as to say it is at least fifty feet deep, either way it is the work of the ‘old men’ of the moor. It is here …

In the Spring of 2015 South West Water decided to sell of some of their properties and the small Butter Brook Impounding Reservoir was one of them with a guide price of £40,000. The auction was to be held on the 25th of March and this particular plot was being …

Perched on an outcrop of rock overlooking Buckfast Abbey is the shell of what was the Holy Trinity Church. Visit here on a sunny day and you will find it one of the most serene and peaceful places. All you probably will have for company are the jackdaws who nest …

Buckland in the Moor has for many years been on the route of the visitor’s ‘grand tour’ of Dartmoor.  Many people coming to see the famous ‘chocolate box’ thatched cottages and dream about living in such an idyllic spot. The ironic thing is that if ever anyone was fortunate enough …

High up on the moor between Rough tor and Lower White tor is probably one of the most desolate spots on the moor. Today all you can see is a boggy tract of land where the cotton grass waves in the wind like a multitude of rabbits tails. In summer …

One of the more prominent features of Dartmoor is the tiny church perched on top of rocky outcrop known as Brentor as can be seen from the dramatic early etching below. There are various versions of how the tiny church became to be built clinging precariously to the volcanic outcrop. …

Walter Branscombe was Bishop of Exeter in the thirteenth century. One of his admirable traits was that he visited his flock no matter of their remoteness. On one summer’s eve accompanied by his servant he was returning from once such a visit on the north eastern side of Dartmoor. The …

Due east of the small moorland village of Drewsteignton lies Bradmere Pool, a large, tree lined, dark, foreboding place which covers about 3 acres. Today the pool is more commonly known as Bradford Pool but in the past it has been called both Bradmere Pool and Beechmere Pool. It lies …

Amongst other claims to fame the small rock pile called Bottor Rock is arguably the most eastern of Dartmoor tors. The small pile can be found just south-west of the tiny village of Hennock and stands at a height of 793 feet. If you read most of the topographical Dartmoor …