Tag Archives: Dartmoor

Every part of Britain had a champion author, Wessex had Hardy, Yorkshire had Bronte and Dartmoor had Eden Phillpotts. He was/is a very elusive and multi-talented person who, in my opinion had the gift of portraying the landscape, people and spirit of Dartmoor better than any other writer. Apart from …

. Long, long ago where Willsworthy Ford (aka Standon Steps) crosses the river Tavy became the meeting place for two young lovers. It was here that a young, beautiful and rich woman would arrive from nearby Lydford, mounted on a magnificent white horse. Here she would find her lover patiently …

One hundred and thirteen years ago the sleepy little village of Peter Tavy was to witness one of Dartmoor’s most violent crimes. Nestled below the lofty western tors  Peter Tavy has always been a typical moorland village. People never travelled far and everyone knew each other, the chances were that …

There are various accounts of the story of Stephen’s Grave and here is a brief synopsis and the conflicting versions. About three hundred years ago lived a man called George Stephens, the tale is that old that some say he was named John. Either way he lived at Peter Tavy …

I have recently had a couple of emails from people who are coming to Dartmoor for their holidays and have expressed an amount of concern about the phenomenon known as being ‘Piskie Led’. Firstly they wanted to know if it the stories they had heard were true, secondly if it …

In the year 1641, near the little moorland town of Chagford lived a woman called Mary Whiddon who lived at nearby Whiddon Park. As with many folk tales her story involved two men one of which was the jealous and vengeful type. Mary had made the mistake of jilting one …

Back in the late eighteenth century, 1790 some say,  an orphaned baby was taken into the Poor House at Newton Abbot. The little girl was named, as was the custom, with a surname beginning with whatever letter the Poor House had progressed to, in this case ‘J’. As many of …

It was one winter’s night when the topic of conversation at the Tinner’s Arms near Lydford got around to the latest guest to be staying on Gibbet Hill. According to an elderly man who was the local font of all knowledge the man swinging in the iron cage at that …

Imagine the year is 1925 and it is a dark winters night, the sky is clear and the air is cold, a frost is starting to bite at the whitening verge side. You and your partner are driving along the B3212 between Postbridge and Two bridges after visiting friends in …

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 …