Magnificence of Dartmoor
Visitors to Dartmoor will testify to the fact that its 368 square miles of unspoilt wilderness never fail to inspire a sense of awe and mystery.
This expanse of moorland, which is scattered with exposed granite tors and a few small areas of ancient woodland, became a National Park in 1951 and attracts visitors from across the globe every year, many of whom are regular walking enthusiasts, determined to push their personal boundaries and conquer this rugged terrain.
Dartmoor’s rich landscape has yielded a variety of minerals that once supported the ancient stannary towns that lie on its borders. Towns such as Tavistock, Ashburton and Plympton, now considered charming locations offering holiday accommodation, quaint pubs and inns, small shops and popular eating places, are clear evidence of the wealth generated in a bygone era through the trade in the minerals harvested from the moor, such as lead, copper, arsenic and tin.
English Oak trees once flourished on this former Royal hunting ground. Today, however, only small wooded areas remain. The isolated walker can be easily thrilled by simply standing amidst one of these wooded copses and imagining the thunder of the Royal hooves in the distance whilst the stealthy fox creeps between the sturdy tree trunks towards his den.
Wistman’s Wood is well worth a visit, and anybody who finds themselves there at dusk will not be surprised to hear folklore indicating that the place is visited by the Devil himself along with his hounds from Hell!
The moor rises to a height of 2039ft above sea level and offers spectacular views from some of its highest points. Its famous tors and granite outcrops were formed during the Ice Age and are a focal point for visitors to the area, who are always delighted by the sight of the wild ponies that graze freely on the land.
Other points of interest are the upland bogs, where many of the South West’s rivers, such as the Dart, Teign, Tavy and Plym, are sourced.
It’s fitting that Princetown, perhaps one of the bleakest locations on the moor, houses the famous prison, which was built to house French and American prisoners during the Napoleonic wars. Visitors to the prison museum will shudder at thoughts of the extreme conditions that prisoners of the past endured, memories of which perhaps still reside in the stark, grey exterior walls.
However, the wealth of evidence of ancient farming communities settling on Dartmoor who made use of the granite rocks and slabs found in the area to construct mysterious monuments and stone circles, such as the one at Grey Weathers, which lies in the valley below Sittaford Tor, is a reminder that the area is a truly sacred site where man can marvel at the wonders of nature.