Tales Of Dartmoor

On the 3rd of December 1939 two men escaped from Dartmoor Prison in what at the time was described as; “one of the most amazing dashes for liberty in the history of Dartmoor Prison.” It was also said that their means of escape; “made history.” There were numerous newspaper reports …

“North of the road are the pounds and hut circles known as ‘Black Tor Rings’, and here, amid the autumn blaze of golden bracken and gorse and the colourful foliage of the riverside trees, is a place to stand and regard the beauty of Shipley Gorge.” Hemery, High Dartmoor, p.319.Adding …

An nou thee'rt wel wance more, Well jist go hup to Leusdon races ,Ta zee tha zights an purty vaces, An ort else that's in zstore.

“On reaching the main road that leads from Ashburton to Tavistock, we turned in the direction of Two Bridges. The rain still continued to pour down in torrents, and we were not sorry to seek the shelter of the inn there – The Saracen’s Head, but as the rain showed …

Probably the last place on earth where you would expect to see unearthly happenings occur is a vicarage. But then again anything is possible on mysterious Dartmoor.Back in the days when Queen Victoria sat on the throne and Britannia ruled the waves there was an aged vicar who dwelt in …

Here is another step back in time, or rather numerous steps back in time and are the reminisces of a couple of adventurers who strode forth on a trek from Princetown to Ivybridge way back in 1874. I make no excuses for the author’s exact wording of their wanderings as …

“Love and Vengeance – One of the most resolute of bloodthirsty scoundrels has enacted a deed that scarcely finds an equal – not even in the Newgate Calendar. Three miles from Tavistock there is a place called Moortown, and thence through a lane the traveller reaches Dartmoor. At the very end …

One of the more popular of Dartmoor’s stone circles are the enigmatic ‘Grey Wether’s, two stone circles found on the eastern flank of Sittaford Tor. These stone circles are particularly fortunate insomuch as there are five legends that attach themselves to these prehistoric ritual features. The Grey Wethers – version …

For centuries the folk from Dartmoor have been told grisly tales of the ‘Wisht Hounds’ who with their master stalk the lonely moors at night. Some will say ’tis the Devil ‘imself who leads them while others assert that it’s Squire Cabell. Then there are those who will tell that …

Not many Christmases go by without one channel or another screening the Dickens classic of Oliver Twist. Having feasted on the traditional Christmas dinner one is then presented of a forlorn looking Oliver pleading for ‘more’ of his workhouse gruel. The story line portrays how harsh life could be in …