Tag Archives: Dartmoor

Anybody who has read the book or watched the film of, ‘The Name of the Rose’ will not be surprised at anything medieval monks got up to. Dartmoor has its own version in the, ‘Mad Monk of Gidleigh’, well to be exact, ‘The Mad Monk of Haldon’ but as the …

“James Perrott, the well known guide, the best living authority on that land of tors, of which he is, indeed, a veritable ‘walking cyclopaedia.” – J. Ll. W. Page 1895. Back in the time when there was no such thing as health and safety, personal injury claims and perceived danger …

“And near hereto’s the Gubbins’ cave; A people that no knowledge have Of law, of God, or men; Whom Caesar never yet subdued, Who’ve lawless liv’d; of manners rude; All savage in their den. By whom, if any pass that way, He dares not the least time to stay, For …

I will make a bet than any Dartmoor lover has never once thought that just maybe they would love to live in the wilds of Dartmoor, away from everybody and spend their days tramping the moor – I know I have on many occasions. Clearly in this day and age …

Childe was a wealthy man and a keen hunter, his vast estate was at Plymstock a small village to the south of the moors. Childe was happiest riding the moor alone, come rain or shine he would roam the wastes in search of game. One winters day he had been …

“I have a dream…” as most of us do but usually it does not involve transforming a whole landscape. Back in the 1800’s one man’s dream was to recreate a mystical land on Dartmoor, he wanted to bring the Isle of Mona to the moor along with a fabulous grotto …

Whilst browsing through an old publication I came across this old Devonshire dialect poem called ‘The Road to Moreton’. This refers to one of the many roads and lanes that converge at Moretonhampstead and aptly describes the journey through the various seasons. I’m not to sure what it’s alluding to …

Most Dartmoor enthusiasts are conversant with the works of William Crossing, Eric Hemery, Samuel Row, and Hansford Worth, in other words the early topographical writers. Some may even add to that list Elisa Bray and John Lloyd Warden Page and the Reverend Hugh Breton. But there is one unsung writer …

It has already been noted on the Hogs Pudding page that the recipe for this Dartmoor delicacy is a secret which has been guarded closer than the Queen on a visit to Afghanistan. But just the other night I was browsing through a book called, ‘Songs of the Dean Bourn’ …

As always, whilst searching for something else I came across this verse called ‘The Moorland Gamekeeper‘ written in 1886. On March the 9th of that year it was addressed to Mr. W. French, jnr. who at that time was in the employ of Dr. Blackall of Exeter. This was the …