71 pages with 50+ photographs (0.9 MB PDF)

Dartmoor is world-famous for its wonderful mix of pretty villages and wild moorland.  It is popular for walking and relaxing.  It inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.  Steeped in history, there is much evidence of former civilisations, which have left their mark on the countryside - some dating back 3,000 years.  There are enclosures, stone circles and rows of upright stones.  There is also the fascinating story of tin-mining over 1,000 years.  More 'modern' history can be seen in 2 city tours, and in 5 National Trust properties - covering the last 500 years.

Visit Dartmoor National Park:

Pretty villages	with thatched cottages and ancient churches
Moorland	with rocky summits, called 'tors'
Ponies	these famous animals, with sheep and cattle roam free over the moorland
Royal Forest	Devon was once a Royal hunting ground.  Much of it is now owned by Prince Charles
Medieval remains	these abound - burial mounds, stone circles and rows, hut circles, field enclosures, granite boundary stones, and route markers
Clapper bridges	quaint, picturesque footbridges
Tin mining	the one-time disfigurements have now blended in, harmoniously, to make an interesting feature
Footpaths	500 miles have made the area world-famous with walkers
Many walks	carefully selected and researched, these all are well described, with good explanations of the interesting features
Letterboxing	a pursuit of seeking out hidden boxes in natural holes

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Visit villages and towns, including:

Widecombe in the Moor	famous for its fair, and 'The Cathedral of the Moor'
Bovey Tracey	with its 1170 church, built in repentance for the murder of Archbishop Thomas à Becket
Princetown	infamous for Dartmoor Prison
Buckfast	with its 1018 monastery, founded by King Canute
Lydford	this village has an 1195 castle, remains of an older castle, and an interesting church
Tavistock	has a magnificent Square and remains of an Abbey
Okehampton	the castle, set on a hill, was once the largest in Devon

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Visit up to 2 cities:

Exeter	has many interesting facets over the centuries, since the Roman times of 200 AD
Plymouth	has a great seafaring history, including the voyages of Francis Drake, the Pilgrim Fathers and Captain Cooke

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Visit up to 5 National Trust properties:

Castle Drogo	a magnificent granite castle, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.  It is England's newest castle, standing at a commanding position
Buckland Abbey	originally a Cistercian Monastery, built in 1278, it became the home of Sir Francis Drake in 1583
Lydford Gorge	with good walks to see the White Lady Waterfall and the turbulent waters in the River Lyd gorge
Finch Foundry	a water powered forge with 3 water wheels, which produced hand tools for agriculture and mining
Saltram	a fine Georgian House, built in the 1700s, with extraordinary plasterwork by Robert Adam, and furniture by Chippendale

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Visit a living history museum:

Morwellham Quay

this provides an insight into the way of life for miners, allied trades and their families.  The village was founded by Benedictine monks before 1066.  It was once an inland port, more active than Plymouth, and the richest copper port in Queen Victoria's Empire.  12 programmes were filmed here for the BBC's 'Edwardian Farm', on air in 2010

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Maps are important on this itinerary.  It is clearly stated which are recommended.