Landscape
Dartmoor has such a unique landscape. The wildness, the heritage, and the ruggedness are what, for me, gives it such appeal. The ancient megalithic structures, the crumbling and mossy stone walls, the wild raspberries growing on the verges, the sheep wandering the landscape, the wild horses, and the windswept hilltops are all part of this.
Where we stayed for 2 nights was on a farm, not far from Princeton up on the moor itself, the views were incredible as you can see from the photographs. You could see for miles in almost every direction, where the undulating green and brown moor meets the skyline. Being summertime, the sky was blue and the air crisp. Britain in the summertime is a very special place to be.
Wild Raspberry Picking
Even though we had a rental car, that we had picked up in Plymouth, we savoured walks out on the moor during the day and down into Princeton and other surrounding places in the evening. These wild raspberries were growing on the side of the road. Of course, we stopped and ate some. They were small and juicy and rich in flavour. YUM!
Wild fruits are not only tastier than store-bought chemical laden ones, but also they are much higher in nutritional density. Think about it. They are grown in fertile untouched soil that has layers upon layers of soil health and they are an ancient strain, so they have been less modified than other varieties. They pack a punch on all fronts! I recall the owner at the farm saying that she often picked raspberries and blackberries off of the verges and I'm a huge fan of seasonal produce taken sparingly from nature. (Leave some for all the other creatures, please!).
On the Farm
The farm where we stayed had a traditional rustic stone façade and there were potted flowers and plants almost everywhere. So delightful! There were lots of birds of prey flying over the moors - falcons and eagles, for example.
Heather and gorse - the contrasting purple and yellows pepper the moors and provide shelter for small rodents and other creatures.
Megalithic Dartmoor
Of course, you cannot visit Dartmoor without seeing some of the many megalithic structures. This picture of Yellowmead Cairn was taken close to the farm. It's a neolithic and bronze age structure and is a partially enclosed stone hut circle settlement dating back to between 2200BC to 701BC.
In this picture, you can clearly see a (sacrificial) altar. It gave me the creeps a bit, to be honest! Of course, the druids had long been here with their ancient practices.
Just...... Wow!
Just look at this vista! Dartmoor really is so stunningly unique and a merge of greens and browns, peppered with the purples and yellows of the gorse and heather.
And, of course, there are sheep EVERYWHERE grazing on the tough grasses of the moor! There is very little traffic up on the moors anyhow, but we often stopped to let the sheep pass.
Ancient Woodland
Wistman's Wood is a doable walk from Yellowmead and close to Princeton. It takes its name from a small oak wood. As you can see from the photos, this amazing woodland is impressive. It is also important for the mosses and lichens that garner the trees and the equally impressive granite boulders in the area. It's a great place to hike! The view from here are really amazing!
To gain a bit of perspective, you can see how tall these trees are. This wood is said to be one of the most haunted places in the UK, but I didn't see or feel anything. (Though I don't think I'd want to be there alone or even accompanied at night!!!)
It's sad that this whole area used to be covered in ancient woodland that covered most of the moor around 9,000 years ago, now only this slice remains. When you are standing in the wood, you can imagine what it was like all that time ago and with all the stories involving druids, ghosts and apparently even the devil himself, the wood really a mysterious and magical place.
Since 1964 it's been a site of Special Scientific Interest and it was selected as a special area of conservation to protect the remaining ancient woodlands. This magical place has been mentioned in folklore for eons and I hope it will continue to be of interest long into the future! I cannot wait to go back to this magical place!
Thank you reading!
Much love, Marley and Me xx
All pictures are my own.