Sunday, July 26, 2015

A quick trip across the moors. . . . . . . .




Dartmoor National Park is an area of moorland in South Devon 
covering 368 sq mi. It was my 'playground' on many a weekend 
as a child. . . . . a quite magical, historical place, one which I'm 
always thrilled to visit when home.


Besides the massive granite rock formations called 'tors' on the uplands, 
tucked into the valleys are farms and tiny villages.

I so wanted Jasmin to visit Dartmoor during our visit in June.
Fortunately my wonderful friend Jackie - she of the beautiful garden I recently shared 
with you HERE - picked us up one morning and took us across Dartmoor, on to Plymouth 
and then Dartmouth (both coming up in another post).
Despite cloudy skies we were able to enjoy views as I related my childhood 
stories - such as falling into the River Dart from a boulder at a favorite 
spot called Dartmeet whilst on a Sunday family picnic. A close call I was told 
when older. We wondered if the same boulder was still there along the bank, 
or has it moved down river during sixty plus years!!!

Dartmeet - where the River Dart is so beautiful.

We stopped here for coffee - and Jasmin enjoyed a 'cream tea' - I think
she loves them as much as I do! It's where we were able to photograph 
the beautiful peacocks HERE, also miniature ponies and goats.


HM Prison Dartmoor 
Opened in 1809 to accommodate prisoners 
of the Napoleonic Wars with France. 
A foreboding sight to come upon in the small moorland town of 
Princetown. It is still in use and currently has over 600 inmates, much changed 
from its original days when at one time it housed over 6,000 prisoners!
The whole story here is quite fascinating.


Dartmoor is often referred to as 'the last wilderness'.
Over the past 12,000 years man has hunted, farmed, mined, quarried, and 
lived on and around Dartmoor.
A place of intrigue and fascination.
If you've visited you already know that - if you have a chance to 
visit be sure to go.



8 comments:

  1. It is absolutely stunning. It would be hard to leave a locale like that. :)

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  2. Such a wonderful post, Mary, beautiful scenery, fond memories and an amazing cream tea, my idea of heaven.
    Maggie

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  3. Mary, your photos of this beautiful countryside make my heart beat with joy. Incredible! Thanks for sharing.

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  4. Amazing photos and a great tour - love the animals and the views from above - what a treasure.

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  5. Mary your photography is magnificent. So breathtaking. I enjoyed all.

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  6. Breathtaking!!! Oh the color of that cream, amazing! How I would have loved a cream tea here.

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  7. "Badger's Holt" -what a fantastic name! Jasmin is a very lucky girl to have you as her gran! So good that she loves cream teas too. Maybe it's just as well I can't have them here as easily as there or I would be so very large indeed. So worth it though perhaps. :) Those photos of Dartmoor are gorgeous. Maybe my favourite spot on God's green earth. Must get back there one day. Would love for the "kids" to see that too. Thank you for sharing these with us. Lovely.

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