Look on any map of Dartmoor and you will find many place-names that end with the element – worthy, but what was a ‘worthy’ and how old are they? That latter question is probably the easiest to answer insomuch as it has been suggested that they originated in Anglo Saxon …

‘There is a category of man-made structure in the remoter parts of northern Dartmoor which has received surprisingly little attention from Dartmoor scholars. I refer to the ruined huts and shelters which can be found beside infant rivers or on the wind-blasted ridge tops.’, (Le Messurier, 1979, p.59). Thirty years …

Dartmoor has an abundance of two things, water and wind both of which have been used as power sources for industry. It is ironic that at a time when wind farms are an emotive subject (due to the proposals for building one on the moor) a look back in history …

“The ayre is very sweete, wholesome and temperate, saving that in the winter season the great blustering winds, rowling upon the high craggy hills and open wastes and moores, do make the ayre very cold and sharp.” Today, following what seems an eternal age of endless storms the weather forecasters …

With all the rivers, streams and brooks that issue from the high moor it is not surprising that there are numerous wells and springs dotted around the landscape. Mention the word ‘well’ and many people conjure up an image of a circular wall over which stands a roof with a …

Considering that the highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays at 621m and the abundance of rivers and streams that tumble down through the valleys and cleaves it is not surprising that there are water falls or simply ‘falls’ as they are known on Dartmoor. If ever you really want …

Water is one commodity Dartmoor is not short of although experts would say that the moor is getting dryer. Having had the luxury of living in a house that got its own water supply direct from a Dartmoor spring I can say it is the coldest, sweetest water you can …

Ever since the nineteenth century the military have used Dartmoor for their exercises and manoeuvres which include live firing. The northern part of the moor is divided into three firing ranges; Okehampton, Willsworthy and Merrivale. These are all marked with lines of red and white poles most of which have …

Now before we start, I must admit that as yet I have not seen the War Horse movie because if I watch a film I like it to be in silence and not have the rattle of crisp packets, slurping of drinks and every other obscene noise you get in …

Anybody who has read a copy of William Crossing’s  book; ‘Crossing’s Guide to Dartmoor‘ cannot have failed to notice the simple black and white sketches of various viewpoints around the moor. These first appeared in the 1909 publication of his book with the purpose of aiding visitors to identify the …