Given national Park status in 1951, Dartmoor is seated in the south of county Devon, southwest Britain, and covers an area of 365 square miles. Virtually 1/2 of the park is swampland, a nirvana for wildlife and those wishing to escape the rigours of city life.
Dartmoor Forest, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall since 1307, is a previous royal hunting ground and makes up the vast majority of the area. The grass and heather moors are littered with large granite boulders scattered amongst the rolling hills. Wild ponies graze among the barren hills ; in spite of running wild, all have human owners and are gathered annually each autumn.
roughly ten percent of the moor is wood, much of it running along the tranquil brook valleys. Stone circles and funeral chambers are testament to Dartmoor’s historic and enigmatic past. Indeed, Dartmoor is famous not only for its beautiful landscapes. It was within the little village of Grimspound that Sherlock Holmes found himself digging into the hound of the Baskervilles.
Dartmoor was one of Europe’s biggest tin mining areas back in the 12th century. The stone built houses of the miners can still be found along lots of the regions streams and brooks.
monk’s Way runs across the southern part of the moor, racing across wild country and moorland bogs. The area is believed to be named after the monks who are thought to have used this path when travelling between Buckland Abbey and Buckfast Abbey. Man’s presence over the ages is obvious in this barren land. Hut circles dating back to the Bronze and Iron ages remain today.
South of monks Way sits Harford Moor. The Middle Ages drew tin miners from far and wide looking for wealth below the surface. Today visitors are drawn by the huge badlands and wildlife. A medieval cross adorns Harford Church, one of many in the area which once served as signposts for those travelling across the moors.
Becky Falls wood Park first opened to the public in 1903. Some of the most enjoyable walks in Britain’s southwest can be had here among the pleasant waterfalls and great granite.
To the west is Upper Plym Valley and a stunning array of plants and wildlife. The tracks in these parts are somewhat better to navigate than many others in the moors and supply much of interest along the way. The impressive moorland scenery is interspersed with abandoned tin mines dating back over a century and diverse prehistoric relics including stone and hut circles.
Where do you want to travel in the world? For an idea of where to go on your next vacation, visit famouswonders.com. While you are on the site, also take a look at Buckingham Palace picture.
Tags: County, Dartmoor, England, wilderness
