Dartmoor, Devon
Described as England's last wilderness, Dartmoor is a National Park. The main moor is about 1000 feet, while the tors (the high points) rise to 2000 feet. In contrast to the bracken and heather covered uplands, there are a number of agreeable small villages round the edge of the moor.
Dartmoor — a drive round the moor
- Ashburton
- Ashburton prospered as a Stannary Town during the tin boom. This has meant a large 15th century church, fine gabled and slate hung houses, Regency villas, pubs and antique shops, all make it a pleasant stopping place.
- Bovey Tracey
- A small market town, one of the gateways to Dartmoor. The restored riverside Mill building is a major craft centre. Just outside the town, the National Trust Parke Estate offers riverside and woodland walks There is also the Parke Rare Breeds Farm and Teign Valley Glass.
- Buckfastleigh
- Buckfastleigh is a small town with a large modern Benedictine Abbey. The abbey was built between 1906 and 1937 by just four monks. Today, the 40 monks who live and pray in the abbey, also make and sell honey and tonic wine in their shop.
- Chagford
- A Stannary town in the 16th century, it is now a touring centre for Dartmoor. The houses have that solid Georgian merchants feel, and there is a 16th century bridge over the River Teign. Castle Drogo is nearby and is a National Trust property.
- Dartmeet
- One of Dartmoor's most popular beauty spots. The East and West Dart Rivers meet here. There is a gorge like valley, with wooded hillsides, and footpaths following the rivers. If you follow the East Dart river a little way upstream, you will come to one of Dartmoor's famous "clapper bridges".
- Ivy Bridge
- A 13th century humpbacked bridge crosses the river Erme, and there is a pleasant walk north along the river.
The granite pillars at Longtimbers Wood are all that remains of Brunel's 1848 viaduct that carried the Great Western railway across the river here. - Lydford
- Perhaps best known for Lydford Gorge just outside the town, the town of Lydford itself is worth a visit. It's castle was the home of a notorious kangaroo court in the 12th century - offenders against Stannary laws would be hung, drawn and quartered with little pretence at a trial.
- Moretonhampstead
- This small market town is a good centre for exploring Dartmoor. Even the name comes from "moor town". There is an interesting two story granite alms house, thatched and colonnaded, dating from 1637. The 19th century White Hart Inn was built as a coaching inn on the Exeter to Bodmin road.
- Postbridge
- Visit this hamlet for its famous stone clapper bridge. Built in the 13th century, this is the best example of the 30 or so clapper bridges on Dartmoor. Four enormous 8 ton slabs, each about 15 feet long, span the East Dart River.
Several good walks onto the moor start from Postbridge, some can be taken with a guide. - Tavistock
- Tavistock grew on the western edge of the moor, around a 10th century Benedictine abbey - only traces of the abbey survive. One of Devon's four Stannary towns, its last mining boom brought the Victorian buildings that distinguish the town today.
Sir Francis Drake was born at Crowndale Farm just south of Tavistock. - Princetown
- Duchy of Cornwall land was given by the then Prince of Wales (hence Prince Town) in 1806, as the site for a prison to house Napoleonic prisoners of war. The prison then housed Americans during the 1812-14 War of Independence. It stood empty then until 1850 when it as converted into a goal for criminals (after England stopped transporting them !). There are around 600 prisoners in the goal today.
- Widecombe
- Famous for its fair and the "Uncle Tom Cobbley and all" song. The tall turreted church tower is a local landmark, and round the church are clustered whitewashed stone cottages.. If you need a drink both the Old Inn and the Rugglestone Inn are worth stopping at.
- Yelverton Within a short distance of Yelverton are Meavy (medieval church, manor house and whitewashed pub), Burritor Water (said to have first supplied water to Plymouth in 1590 when Sir Francis Drake was mayor) and Buckland Monachorum with its Garden House).
Tuesday, 13-May-2008 09:06:21 BST
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