Erinaceus europaeus – more commonly known as the European Hedgehog. In Devon the hedgehog is often referred top a the ‘Hedgy Boar‘ and on Dartmoor as the ‘Fuzzy Pig‘. In both cases the porcine name refers to the way it feeds by using its snout to root around pig-like in …
Read More »Beatrice Chase the Business Woman
In this day and age we are all well conversant with famous sports stars, film celebrities, pop stars, authors, artists etc. endorsing merchandise, appearing on Social Media and in various newspapers and TV. The bigger the star the more money they can earn and in some cases the figures can …
Read More »The Widecombe Aeroplane
These days nobody pays any particular attention to aircraft flying over Dartmoor, perhaps if it’s a military helicopter or RAF fighter plane they might draw a bit more attention but on the whole such an event is an everyday occurrence. But just imagine if you had never seen an aeroplane …
Read More »Soussons Plantation
There is an early placename of Soueston, in 1771 the Recovery Rolls documented the place as North Souson, in 1809 Mudge’s map of Devon shows it as South Stone Farm and today it’s known as Soussons. The English Place-Name Society suggests that the name could originally have meant “at the …
Read More »Sousson’s Stroll
Plans are afoot to alter the landscape of Soussons Plantation so the idea was to have a stroll around the plantation before that happens. Another objective was to get some photographs of the three prehistoric barrows which nestle in a small clearing within the plantation, which I had never seen …
Read More »Langstone Moor Xploration
This little Xcursion was due to a Westcountry phenomenon called ‘drectly’, which means if something has to be done and it’s done drectly then it’s put off to the very, very last moment at the earliest. At university it’s assignment time and one of them is to give two …
Read More »Broadun China Clay Works
Walk out from Postbridge along Drift Lane and you soon come to the bottom of Broad Down (Broadun) and then you are faced with a stiff climb to its summit, back in the day this particular ascent was know as ‘The Bastard’. Probably the reason it acquired this name …
Read More »Dartmoor Rodeo
There are numerous traditions that Dartmoor can claim as being unique, this website contains many of them. But there was one that was popular in the 1920s and early 1930s that was definitely imported from elsewhere. No doubt you will have seen images of Marlboro smoking cowboys, dressed in …
Read More »Saint or Sinner
“… the noted Teign Head George. George was quite a character in his way, and though reared in a remote spot where little or no association with his fellows was to be found, developed a great liking for company nevertheless. The neighbouring village of Chagford knew him often, he had …
Read More »Spitchwick Manor
Spitchwick, the name sounds as if it would have graced any Dickens novel but it actually refers to the ancient Manor. Pre-conquest the manor was owned by Earl Harold but the first documented evidence of it can be found in the Exchequer Domesday Book of 1086 where it’s listed …
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