Dartmoor Places

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 …

‘The men followed this stream, and so approached a solitary grey cottage that stood nakedly in the very heart of the wilderness. Stark space surrounded it. At first sight it looked no more than a boulder, larger than common, that had been hurled hither from the neighbouring hill at some …

‘Blackingstone Rock or Blackystone, as it is always called… Being well placed, and having an elevation considerably over 1,000 feet, this pile forms another point from which a magnificent view is obtained. Like Hel Tor it is seen for many miles around, but according to tradition there was a time …

Think of the word ‘black’ and you will be hard pressed to come up with anything that does not have dark, evil, sinister or menacing associations; blackmail, black arts, black ops, blackball, Black Friday, Black Death, blacklist, black mark, black market, black sheep, etc. The very colour is synonymous with …

‘At Lustleigh, in Devonshire, is an octagonal Lich-Stone called Bishop’s Stone, having engraved upon it the arms of Bishop Cotton.’, (Hood, 1862, p.98). The above is an interesting comment and refers to a huge block of granite known as The Bishop’s Stone and its location is said to be at …

Somebody recently wrote and asked how many place-names on Dartmoor are named after or associated with birds. Having trawled through the database the following list was arrived at, there are more but in cases where there are several examples of a name, ie Eagle Rock, just one entry has been …