Dartmoor

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Today, as the weather was forecast to be fine, we decided to spend the day on Dartmoor, which is in Devon, about an hour's drive away. We stopped in the little village of Postbridge (to get a pastie for lunch) and luckily decided to pop into the excellent visitor information centre. In retrospect that was a very good decision as we probably would never have found the places we wanted to visit without the detailed instructions from the Dartmoor National Park Authority staff. It's good to see that the much publicised government funding cuts have not impacted (yet?) on this important service.

We had no trouble finding Grimspound, the remains of a Bronze Age village of which there are many scattered across the moor. Although not the largest example, it is reputed to be the best preserved. It is believed that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used Grimspound as the model for the ancient village in which Sherlock Holmes camped while investigating The Hound of the Baskervilles. In fact, we caught sight of the hound on the top of a nearby tor 😉

Grimspound comprises a circular wall enclosing about 24 "roundhouses" as well as its own water source. Rather than being a permanent village, it is believed to have most likely been used seasonally when the villagers brought their livestock onto the moor to graze the summer fodder.

Next stop, Hound Tor, reputedly provided Conan Doyle's inspiration for writing The Hound of the Baskervilles as there was a local legend describing phantom hounds racing across the moor here to hurl themselves on the grave of their hated master. The lovely weather had brought out a variety of people to enjoy Hound Tor. There were families (some with prams), rock climbers, mountain-bikers and your common or garden variety trampers! Nearby is the remains of a mediaeval village in which four 13th century farmsteads are clearly visible. Many of the dwellings were what are known as "longhouses", where the occupants shared the building with their livestock.

As it was now rapidly approaching beer o'clock, we decided to try out the nearby and famous Warren House Inn. This isolated pub on the moor is renowned for keeping its fire burning continuously for 150 years! We were pretty comfortable there so decided to stay for dinner.

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Photos

The Tamar River!
The Cornwall version, not the Tasmanian.

"Clapper" bridge, Postbridge, Dartmoor
Reputedly one of the best preserved examples of this ancient type of bridge construction - this one built sometime before 1380. The slabs are over 4m long and 2m wide - large enough for the passage of small carts.

The Hound of the Baskervilles?
We managed to snap this shot just as we arrived at Grimspound - only a few miles from Hound Tor (as the Hound bounds!).

Inside Grimspound, Dartmoor
One of the entrances to the enclosed area.

Creek flowing out of Grimspound towards the carpark
There were streams flowing everywhere and the ground was sodden!