“Back to the sunset bound of Lyonesse– A land of old upheaven from the abyss By fire, to sink into the abyss again; Where fragments of forgotten peoples dwelt…“. The above lines are how Tennyson described the legendary land of Lyonesse that sunk beneath the waves somewhere off the coast …

This was a difficult topic to categorise as the St. Michael’s line is or was not an actual track or boundary but if you believe in energy lines then it is a real path that runs across the northern end of the moor. Ley lines and energy paths initially seemed …

Zebediah Torre was a journeyman who lived in a small hovel near Buckland. Every week he and his pony would trudge the ancient track called ‘The Abbot’s Way’ to Princetown and then cut across on the old Ashburton to Tavistock path, which led him to the local market at Tavistock. …

The Merrivale ceremonial complex is probably one of the second most important ritual landscapes on Dartmoor. The inquiring mind will find many references to it in many books. But they are all brief mentions, which leaves the reader thirsting for more knowledge. This is an attempt to bring all those …

There was a time long, long ago when giants lived on Dartmoor. They tended to dwell on the high tors where they could sit and watch over their territories. From a lot of the lofty peaks they could even see across into Wales and down to the South Devon coast. …

Tradition has it that for centuries there has been an ancient trackway which runs from Bideford in North Devon and Dartmouth in South Devon. The purpose of this route was for sailors to travel between the two ports when transferring from one ship to sail on another, hence the name …

This ancient wayside cross must have been both a blessing and a dread for early travellers across the moor, to those coming down from the wilderness it probably was a most welcomed sight but for those about to enter upon the wastes it must have been a sickening reminder of …

In the little moorland churchyard of Manaton stands a sad, time worn granite cross. It is hard to imagine that, not that long ago, the peaceful tranquillity of this Dartmoor parish was shattered by a bitter dispute over the church cross. For time immemorial there had been a tradition that …

In many a green and solemn place, Girt with the wild hills round, The shadow of the holy cross Yet sleepeth on the ground. North Bovey can boast a typical and picturesque village green that is studded with artefacts from a bygone age. Sitting majestically in the shade of a …

One question that always intrigues me is when did people first realise that someone had died and feel the need to actually bury them as opposed to just discarding or eating the corpse? Also what happened to make these same people feel the need to actually bury the body with …