Tales Of Dartmoor

As with most ‘strange events’ that occur on Dartmoor there is normally some kind of explanation as to their happening but every now and again there is one where logic does not apply just like this in 2010: It was a cold Christmas even by Dartmoor standards and especially so …

A long, long time ago there lived in a remote Dartmoor clitter a huge and wily old fox. He knew every nook and cranny of the moors but more to the point he knew where the plumpest rabbits lived and on which farms the juiciest of hens were cooped. One …

Many years ago on the southern tip of Dartmoor lived a farmer, he was considered one of the larger yeomen of the area. One evening as his men were finishing their chores for the day he called his ploughman over. “Moses,” he said, “tomorrow I want you to plough a …

Anybody who watches ‘Little Britain’ will be converse with Vicky Pollard’s well know saying – “don’t give me evos!” which loosely translated is modern parlance for, “don’t give me the evil eye!”. Nothing new here then in fact there is nothing new with the ‘evil eye’ as its tradition goes …

Firstly I would like to thank Pete for taking the time and trouble to email me this story from Princetown. Back in Napoleonic times when the prison ships used to be docked at Plymouth it was general practice to march the French prisoners of war across the moor to Princetown. …

To the north of Holne Ridge lies the small valley of the O Brook, here the moorland waters peacefully tumble down through granite rocks that are overlooked by tombs of the ancient men of the moor. Today the tranquil little valley is home to the moorland sheep and ponies who …

Just to the west of Tavistock lies the farmstead of Downhouse, the present building was re-built in 1822 but the original house was much, much older. It also had its own ghost in the form of a very tall and gangly man. The ghost was a pretty predictable spirit as …

In the long forgotten days before Ipods and such demonic inventions the folk of Dartmoor had to make their own music. This meant learning to play an instrument such as an accordion, flute or a fiddle and such musicians would be akin to the ‘Rock Idols’ of today. I suppose …

“By day the place was inviting enough and a child wouldn’t have feared to be there. Dean Burn came down from its cradle far away in the hills and threaded Dean Woods with ripple and flash and song. The beck lifted its voice in stickles and shouted over the mossy …

This week (Jan 2009) I had to travel across Dartmoor at night in driving rain and a dense fog that brought visibility down to about 10 feet. It was no real problem as I know the road from Ashburton to Two Bridges well, but it got me thinking, “what would …