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Dartmoor

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

   Coordinates: 50°34′N 4°0′W
   High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at
   621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond.
   Enlarge
   High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at
   621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond.

   Dartmoor is an area of moorland in the centre of the English county of
   Devon. Protected by a National Park, it covers 953 km² (368 square
   miles).

   The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological
   history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops
   (known as tors), providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The highest
   point is High Willhays, 621 m above sea level. The entire area is rich
   in antiquities.

   Dartmoor is managed by the National Park Authority whose 26 members are
   drawn from Devon County Council, local District Councils and
   Government.

   Parts of Dartmoor have been used as a military firing range for over
   200 years. The public enjoy extensive access rights to the rest of
   Dartmoor, and it is a popular tourist destination. The Park was
   featured on the TV programme Seven Natural Wonders as the top natural
   wonder in South West England.

Geographical information

Tors

   Cox Tor
   Enlarge
   Cox Tor

   Dartmoor is known for its tors — large hills, usually topped with
   rocks. There are over 160 tors on Dartmoor. They are the focus of an
   annual event known as the Ten Tors, when over a thousand people, aged
   between 14 and 21, walk for distances of 35, 45 and 55 miles. While
   many of these hills do have the word "Tor" in them quite a number do
   not. This does not appear to relate to whether there is an outcrop of
   rock on them.

   The highest points on Dartmoor are High Willhays ( grid reference
   SX580895, 621 m) and Yes Tor ( grid reference SX581901, 619 m) on the
   nothern moor. Eylesbarrow ( grid reference SX600685, 454 m) and Ryder's
   Hill ( grid reference SX690660, 515 m) are the highest points on the
   southern moor. Probably the best known tor on Dartmoor is Hay Tor (also
   spelt Hey Tor) ( grid reference SX757771, 457 m). For a more complete
   list see List of Dartmoor tors and hills.

Rivers

   The levels of rainfall on Dartmoor are considerably higher than in the
   surrounding lowlands. With much of the national park covered in thick
   layers of peat, the rain is usually absorbed quickly and distributed
   slowly, so that the moor is rarely dry.

   In some areas, where water accumulates, dangerous bogs or mires can
   result. Some of these, topped with bright green moss and known to
   locals as 'feather beds', will shift (or 'quake') beneath your feet —
   the result of pockets of air trapped beneath the surface.

   Another consequence of the high rainfall is that there are numerous
   rivers and streams on Dartmoor. As well as shaping the landscape, these
   have traditionally provided a source of power for moor industries such
   as tin mining and quarrying.

   The Moor takes its name from the River Dart, which starts as the East
   Dart and West Dart and then becomes a single river at Dartmeet. Other
   significant rivers which rise within the national park include:
     * Ashburn
     * Avon
     * Bovey
     * East Okement
     * East Webburn

                     * Erme
                     * Lemon
                     * Lyd
                     * Meavy
                     * O brook

                                * Plym
                                * Swincombe
                                * Tavy
                                * Taw
                                * Teign

                                             * Walkham
                                             * West Okement
                                             * West Webburn
                                             * Yealm

History

Pre-history

   The majority of the prehistoric remains on Dartmoor date back to the
   late Neolithic and early Bronze Age. Indeed, Dartmoor contains the
   largest concentration of Bronze Age remains in the United Kingdom,
   which suggests that this was when a larger population moved onto the
   hills of Dartmoor.

   The climate at the time was warmer than today, and much of today's
   moorland was covered with trees. The prehistoric settlers began
   clearing the forest, and established the first farming communities.

   The nature of the soil, which is highly acidic, means that no organic
   remains have survived. However, by contrast, the high durability of the
   natural granite means that their homes and monuments are still to be
   found in abundance, as are their flint tools. It should be noted that a
   number of remains were "restored" by enthusiastic Victorians and that,
   in some cases, they have placed their own interpretation on how an area
   may have looked.
   Beardown Man, Dartmoor
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   Beardown Man, Dartmoor

   Numerous menhirs (more usually referred to locally as standing stones
   or longstones), stone circles, kistvaens, cairns and stone rows are to
   be found on the moor. The most significant sites include:
     * Beardown Man, near Devil’s Tor — isolated standing stone (3.5 m
       high, said to have another 1 m below ground). grid reference
       SX596796

     * Challacombe, near the prehistoric settlement of Grimspound — triple
       stone row. grid reference SX689807
     * Drizzlecombe, east of Sheepstor village — stone circles, rows,
       standing stones, kistvaens and cairns. grid reference SX591669
     * Grey Wethers, near Postbridge — double circle, aligned almost
       exactly north south. grid reference SX638831
     * Laughter Tor, near Two Bridges — standing stone (2.4 m high) and
       two double stone rows (one 164 m long). grid reference SX652753
     * Merrivale, between Princetown and Tavistock — includes a double
       stone row (182 m long, 1.1 m wide, aligned almost exactly
       east-west), stone circles and a kistvaen. grid reference SX554747
     * Scorhill, west of Chagford — circle (26.8 m in circumference) and
       stone rows. grid reference SX654873
     * Shovel Down, north of Fernworthy reservoir — double stone row
       (approx 120 m long). grid reference SX660859

   There are also an estimated 5,000 hut circles still surviving today,
   despite the fact that many have been raided over the centuries by the
   builders of the traditional dry stone walls. These are the remnants of
   Bronze Age houses. The smallest are around 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter,
   and the largest may be up to five times this size.

   Some have L-shaped porches to protect against wind and rain — some
   particularly good examples are to be found at Grimspound. It is
   believed that they would have had a conical roof, supported by timbers
   and covered in turf or thatch.

   Many ancient structures, including the hut circles at Grimspound, were
   reconstructed during the 19th century — most notably by civil engineer
   and historian Richard Hansford Worth. Some of this work was based more
   on speculation than archaeological expertise, and has since been
   criticised for its inaccuracy.

The historical period

   The climate worsened over the course of a thousand years from around
   1000 BC, so that much of high Dartmoor was largely abandoned by its
   early inhabitants.

   It was not until the early medieval period that the weather again
   became warmer, and settlers moved back onto the moors. Like their
   ancient forebears, they also used the natural granite to build their
   homes, preferring a style known as the longhouse — some of which are
   still inhabited today, although they have been clearly adapted over the
   centuries. Many are now being used as farm buildings, while others were
   abandoned and fell into ruin.

   The earliest surviving farms, still in operation today, are known as
   the Ancient Tenements. Most of these date back to the 14th century and
   sometimes earlier.

   Some way into the moor stands the town of Princetown, the site of the
   notorious Dartmoor Prison, which was originally built both by, and for,
   Napoleonic prisoners of war. The prison has a (now misplaced)
   reputation for being escape-proof, both due to the buildings themselves
   and its physical location.

   The Dartmoor landscape is scattered with the marks left by the many
   generations who have lived and worked there over the centuries — such
   as the remains of the once mighty Dartmoor tin-mining industry, and
   farmhouses long since abandoned.

   Indeed the industrial archaeology of Dartmoor is a subject in its own
   right.

Myths and literature

   Enlarge

   Dartmoor abounds with myths and legends. It is reputedly the haunt of
   pixies, a headless horseman, a mysterious pack of 'spectral hounds',
   and a large black dog. During the Great Thunderstorm of 1638, Dartmoor
   was even said to have been visited by the Devil.

   Many landmarks have ancient legends and ghost stories associated with
   them, such as Jay's Grave, the ancient burial site at Childe's Tomb,
   and a rock pile called Bowerman's Nose.

   A few stories have emerged in recent decades, such as the ' hairy
   hands', that are said to attack travellers on the B3212 near Two
   Bridges. Several motorists have claimed that the hands materialised in
   front of them, grasped the wheel and forced their vehicle off the road
   — although others believe that the loss of control is more likely to
   have been the result of subsidence of the road surface.

   Dartmoor has inspired a number of artists and writers, such as Sir
   Arthur Conan Doyle in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Eden Phillpotts,
   Beatrice Chase, Agatha Christie and the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould.

   A possible source of additional information on this topic would be The
   Witchcraft and Folklore of Dartmoor (1965) but since reprinted ISBN
   0-86299-021-1.

Ownership and access

   Over half of Dartmoor National Park (57.3%) is private land, much of
   this owned by the Duke of Cornwall, a title held under a charter of
   Edward III by the Prince of Wales. The Ministry of Defence owns 14%
   (see below), 3.8% is owned by water companies (see Dartmoor
   reservoirs), 3.7% by the National Trust, 1.8% by the Forestry
   Commission and 1.4% by Dartmoor's National Park Authority.

   Dartmoor differs from some other National Parks in England and Wales,
   in that since a 1985 Act of Parliament much of it has been designated
   as 'Access Land', with no restrictions on where walkers can roam. This
   Access Land remains privately owned land.

   There are still almost 450 miles of footpaths and bridleways on
   Dartmoor, but they are for guidance and convenience — they do not have
   to be kept to, and in fact footpaths in these sections of the Park are
   generally not waymarked. This is not connected with the Countryside and
   Rights of Way Act 2000, which has established similar rights in other
   rural parts of the country. Dartmoor is largely unaffected by this
   legislation because of its existing arrangements. In 2006, this Act
   opened up much of the remaining restricted land for walkers — a topic
   much disputed amongst the landowners and the councils .

Use by the Ministry of Defence

   There is a tradition of military usage of Dartmoor dating back to the
   Napoleonic wars. There is still a large Army training camp at
   Okehampton — also the site of an airbase during the Second World War.

   The Ministry of Defence (MoD) uses three areas of the northern moor for
   manoeuvres and live-firing exercises, totalling 108.71 km² (41.9
   mile²), or just over 11% of Dartmoor National Park. Red and white posts
   mark the boundaries of these military areas (shown on Ordnance Survey
   1:25,000 maps). Flagpoles on many tors in and around the ranges will
   fly red flags when firing is taking place. At other times, members of
   the public are allowed access. Blank rounds may also be used, but the
   MoD has no obligation to alert the civilian population of this.

   Those wishing to walk in the firing areas are advised to check the
   firing times for the coming week by calling the MoD on 0800 4584868.
   Further advice is available at the National Park website.

   Some "challenge" and charitable events take place with assistance of
   the military on Dartmoor including the long established Ten Tors event
   and the more recent Dartmoor Beast.

Preserving Dartmoor

   The clapper bridge at Postbridge
   Enlarge
   The clapper bridge at Postbridge

   Throughout human history, the landscape has been exploited for
   industrial purposes. In recent years, controversy has surrounded the
   work of industrial conglomerates Imerys and Watts Blake Bearne, who
   have used parts of the moor for china-clay mining. Licences were
   granted by the British Government but were recently renounced after
   sustained public pressure from bodies such as the Dartmoor Preservation
   Association. Many of these licences predate much of the heavy machinery
   which is in use today. Imerys were singled out for particular criticism
   after work at Lee Moor destroyed a number of archaeologically
   significant sites.

   The British government has made promises to protect the integrity of
   the moor; however, the cost of compensating companies for these
   licences, which may not have been granted in today's political climate,
   could prove prohibitive.

   The military use of the moor has been another source of controversy,
   such as when training was extended in January 2003. The National Park
   Authority received 1,700 objections before making the decision.
   Objectors claimed that Dartmoor should be an area for recreation, and
   that the training disturbs the peace.

   Those who objected included the Open Space Society and the Dartmoor
   Preservation Association. During her lifetime, Lady Sayer was another
   outspoken critic of the damage which she perceived that the army was
   doing to the moor.

Towns and villages

   Dartmoor has a resident population of about 33,400, although this
   swells considerably during holiday periods. The main towns and villages
   are:
   Dartmoor landscape from Hay Tor.
   Enlarge
   Dartmoor landscape from Hay Tor.
     * Ashburton
     * Belstone
     * Buckfast
     * Chagford
     * Holne
     * Lustleigh
     * Manaton
     * Moretonhampstead
     * Okehampton
     * Ponsworthy
     * Postbridge
     * Poundsgate
     * Princetown
     * South Tawton
     * South Zeal
     * Sticklepath
     * Tavistock
     * Widecombe-in-the-Moor
     * Yelverton

Features

Well known landmarks

     * Bowerman's Nose — (unusual rock formation)
     * Burrator Reservoir — (late Victorian reservoir)
     * Childe's Tomb — (ancient burial site)
     * Church House, South Tawton — (15th century church ales house)
     * Cranmere Pool — (original letter box site and location of the
       legend of Cranmere Binjie)
     * Crazywell Pool — (artificial lake)
     * Dartmeet — (meeting point of East and West Dart)
     * Devonport Leat — (man-made water channel)
     * Duck's Pool — (location of a memorial to local writer William
       Crossing)
     * Grey Wethers — (pair of ancient stone circles)
     * Grimspound — (Bronze Age settlement)
     * High Willhays — (highest point on Dartmoor)
     * Jay's Grave — (mysterious burial site)
     * Tavistock Canal — (19th century canal)
     * Two Bridges — (18th century coaching inn)
     * Warren House Inn — (highest inn in SW England)

Letterboxing

   The definitive guide to walking on Dartmoor was written by the
   Victorian walker William Crossing. He states that a Dartmoor guide
   placed a bottle for visitors' cards at Cranmere Pool on the northern
   moor in 1854. This would seem to be the origin of letterboxing. In 1938
   a plaque and letterbox in Crossing's memory were placed at Duck's Pool
   on the southern moor.

   This pursuit has become increasingly popular in recent decades.
   Watertight containers, or 'letterboxes', are hidden throughout
   Dartmoor, each containing a visitor's book and a rubber stamp. The
   original intention was for walkers to leave a letter or postcard, which
   would then be collected and posted by the next person to visit the
   site.

   Until the 1970s there were no more than a dozen such sites around the
   moor, usually in the most inaccessible locations. Today there are
   thousands of letterboxes, many within easy walking distance of the
   road. Clues to their locations are placed in other letterboxes or on
   the Internet. It has become a sport in itself, with thousands of
   walkers gathering for 'box-hunts' — particularly popular amongst
   children.

   Such letterboxes have also been placed in various locations around the
   world, with a more recent variant known as geocaches. These caches are
   usually much harder to find, and often require GPS coordinates to
   locate.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartmoor"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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