Moor than meets the eye is working with the people who live, work and visit Dartmoor to reveal new insights into the story of Dartmoor- the people and landscape over 4,000 years and to help share this story with everyone.
If you know what to look out for this natural seeming landscape can quickly reveal the impact of human settlement, industry and farming in its strange lumps and bumps and odd stone piles.
- The Dartmoor Story
Over the course of the scheme we will be developing a web based resource to help you find out more about Dartmoor and how this seemingly natural landscape has been shaped by settlement, industry and farming. - Heritage Trails
To help get you started on where to visit or what to look for we are creating an interactive map which contains suggested routes to around heritage features. You can also upload your favourite route or look for particular heritage features before planning your walk. - Visiting Dartmoor
Before you visit the moor it’s a good idea to visit the National Park website for all the latest information to help you get the best from your visit.
The project will enhance National Park Visitor Centre at Postbridge to ensure that the it becomes the Dartmoor hub for cultural heritage. Specifically it will be the main focus for the finds and story of the Whitehorse Hill Cist and will be where people can understand and appreciate the special qualities of the National Park. Furthermore, a more engaging Visitor Centre and associated opportunities for walking will ensure a longer dwell time and hence a wider local economic benefit.
To improve access and interpretation around Fernworthy Reservoir. The project includes footpath improvements to the round reservoir footpath and repair of ‘Potters Walk’ wheelchair friendly route. The project is based around the banks of Fernworthy Reservoir in the parishes of Chagford and Gidleigh.
To develop an interactive web based map to develop, promote and share a range of Heritage Trails which help people explore and learn about the area.. The map will include layers, which can be switched on or off, to show natural and historic features; local accommodation, pubs, cafes etc; access land and public rights of way.
Provision of 10km of predominantly off road multi-use trail on the route of the disused Moretonhampstead Branch line, constructed and opened in 1866 by the Victorians, whilst sympathetically maintaining the habitat of wildlife along the route. The planning, development and construction of a largely off-road recreational trail to provide a new sustainable transport link between communities on the east of the moor and to act as a recreational facility for locals and visitors to the area alike.
Discovering the Dartmoor Story is about reconnecting people with the landscape and the story that it tells about our ancestors. The project will provide a range of interpretation across the Moor than meets the eye area to meet the needs of the different audiences that live in or visit the area.
People of all generations from a Dartmoor community will perform a community play that has been inspired by life in and around Bellever through different eras starting with the Bronze Age. This project will bring together different generations who share a common heritage to tell a story that is about their local area through working together to perform a play.
Moor Boots is a scheme to assist young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to acquire personal expedition equipment allowing them to participate in activities from which they would otherwise be barred.
Proposals for trails, interpretive media and visitor management (including car parking and landscape proposals for the forest area) which make links around Bellever Forest and Postbridge, using Whitehorse Hill as a means of developing further interest in the heritage of the area. An Access and Interpretation Plan was commissioned to set out what the community would like to see happen in the area.
This project aims to develop volunteering and community participatory activities to engage people with the nature in the Bovey Valley, part of the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve. The overarching aims of the projects developed by NE and WT are to: Future-proof key species, habitats and historic features Foster deeper understanding and life-long interest in the area’s natural and cultural heritage. Embed local communities in all aspects of management.
The project will increase the quality of the visitor experience in Widecombe in the Moor. It will interpret the historic nature of specific buildings, tin-mining and Victorian tourism and will tell the story of parish farming through the ages from Bronze Age settlement to “lost medieval manor of the moor”, War time milk production to present day mixed native stock farm.
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Existing trails at Fernworthy Reservoir are being upgraded; which will allow access to some parts of the Lake to those who are less agile. Kit Hancock, South West Lakes Trust local Warden, visited Fernworthy last Friday to check the progress of the contractors, ‘Landmarc’, who are undertaking the work. Kit said, “It is great to see Potter’s Walk almost complete and usable again. This short, lakeside walk has always been popular with many people. Landmarc are a good company to have on the job as they have been only too willing to work with us and the Park to protect hut circles near the trail and keep things neat and tidy as they go, which will help the path naturalise quickly.” Looking ahead they will shortly be working on reinstating the permissive footpath through the felled woodland and woodland to the bird hide; then making the path and steps below the dam easier to negotiate. Apart from the odd stream crossing, boardwalk improvements and soft spot, everything else between the bird hide right round to the dam will be kept much as it is, making it easier to negotiate but without running a track right round. Potter’s Walk, which should be fully open in October, is a circular route of about ¾ of a mile, suitable for disabled users and those less agile. It has resting places and some slopes which some may require assistance. The walk is named after Sydney Potter who lived and worked at Fernworthy for over 50 years. More information about the project is available here Moor than meets the eye is also developing a Heritage Trails interactive web map to help visitors plan their visit to the moor. It will allow visitors to choose a route from a list or submit their own and will provide information about features of historic or wildlife importance.
Over the course of the scheme we will be developing a web based resource to help you find out more about Dartmoor and how this seemingly natural landscape has been shaped by settlement, industry and farming.
Children from Ashburton and Moretonhampstead schools braved the elements on Tuesday to walk to one of Dartmoor’s finest beauty spots, Bonehill Rocks. They paraded banners and flags they had designed, inspired by the story of Dartmoor and their ancestors who farmed it.
Last update: 09 Aug 2022 2:56am