During the late 1800’s the rabbit was a staple food on Dartmoor and was favourite dish eaten by all classes of people. However, in 1865 a rabbit pie was made that seriously made folks think twice about ever eating such a dish again. Once again this story is taken from …

‘Go back to a time before the invention of artificial light and experience a world petrified in the pitch of darkness…when fear ruled the night. Throughout the ages, real and imagined terror existed in the absence of light, and nightime was anything but relaxing. Our predecessors cowered in caves to …

Back in the early history of Dartmoor there were several monasteries around the edges of Dartmoor. The largest and most powerful was at Tavistock with Buckfast Abbey coming a close second. Another settlement of monks was also to be found at Plymstock. The monks of these abbeys were on friendly …

What happened was, hundreds of years ago the monks of Tavistock and in particular the Abbot upset the piskies something awful. At that time the old Abbot was disgusted by the absolute belief the moorfolk held in the little folk, in his eyes it was no less than ‘idol worship’. …

“The robin redbreast and the wren, God Almighty’s cock and hen. Him that harries their nest Never shall his soul have rest.” “Kill a robin or a wren, Never prosper, boy or man.” Titty-todger, ackymal, kitty-lodger, tidley-tope, cracky wran and cuddy bear are all just a few of the three …

Whilst delving through some old copies of The Times newspaper I can across the following story from the winter of 1856. It serves as a good illustration of the type of prisoner that was once held in Dartmoor Prison and how the establishment got its notorious reputation. The first report …

“Eate leeks in Lide and ransons in May And all yeare after physicians my play.” Wander through any Dartmoor woodland or along a hedgerow between April and June and you cannot fail to miss the heady aroma of garlic – the warmer the day the stronger the smell. Unless one …

At the beginning of 2006 there were around 60 wild boar missing from a farm near West Anstey, they had be released by some mindless animal rights protesters. Originally there were 100 wild boars released but locals managed to re-capture 40 of them but the farmer warned at the time …

Vaccinium mrytillus, in Scotland they call it a blaeberry, in Wales it is known as a whimberry, in Devon they talk of whortleberry on Dartmoor ‘tiz a ‘hurt‘. Call it what you want it tastes delicious and it is a chore to pick, you seem to spend hours plucking, squashing …

Dartmoor’s weather has been said to be ‘unpredictable’ but to the moorfolk who know what signs to look out for nothing comes as a surprise. It could be said that the weather can on occasions be split in two forecasts in so much as it could be raining on the …