DARTMOOR

Covering an area of 368 sq miles (954 sq km), Dartmoor contains the largest and wildest area of open country in the south of England. By virtue of its outstanding natural beauty it is one of the National Parks of England and Wales. Unlike many National Parks in other countries, for example the USA, the National Parks in England and Wales are not owned by the state. The term National means that they have been identified as being of importance to our national heritage and as such are worthy of special protection and attention.

A large part of Dartmoor (65%) is made up of granite, an igneous rock which was intruded some 295 million years ago. It is the largest of the 6 granite regions which form the spine of the Westcountry. Once known as Dartmoor forest, for it was covered by English Oak woodland it was reserved as a royal hunting ground. With thousands of years of farming, house and shipbuilding the woodland is now much depleted, but a few small areas still have ancient woodland cover.Dartmoor’s landscape is of great archaeological importance, with over 10,000 entries on the County Sites and Monuments Register. There are over 1,000 Scheduled Ancient Monuments and this figure rises each year. Prehistoric evidence is everywhere to be seen from standing stones, stone rows, barrows and kistvaens. Later farming, quarrying and tin mining dramatically changed the landscape, over printing an archaeological heritage to the area. There are also over 2,500 buildings which are Listed because of their architectural or historic interest.

The park centres on the granite, which rises to a height of 619m (2,039ft) above sea level, but also includes the beautiful surrounding Devon countryside. To the south and north lie the agricultural farming lands, known as the “Hams”. These rich fertile lands lie on the surrounding country rock, older marine sediments and volcanic rocks of Devonian and Carboniferous age, a contrast with the upland granite areas.

Tors - There are over 160 tors on Dartmoor. The principal ones are:

High Willhays 621m (2,039ft) SX 580 892
Yes Tor 619m (2,030ft) SX 581 901
Great Links Tor 586m (1,924ft) SX 551 867
Fur Tor 572m (1,876ft) SX 588 830
Great Mis Tor 539m (1,768ft) SX 562 770
Great Staple Tor 455m (1,493ft) SX 542 760
Haytor 454m (1,490ft) SX 757 770
Hound Tor 448m (1,469ft) SX 743 790
Sharpitor 402m (1,320ft) SX 559 703
Sheeps Tor 320m (1,050ft) SX 565 683
Vixen Tor 320m (1,050ft) SX 542 742

Many of Devon’s major rivers rise on the granite uplands. The Dart, Teign, Taw, Plym, Tavy and Bovey all rise in the bogs high on the moor Major Land Use Moorland (including rough grazing) 48,450 hectares (119,720 acres) 47% Farmland 33,041 hectares (81,644 acres) 38% Forestry/Woodland 11,152 hectares (27,557 acres) 11% Reservoirs 209 hectares (516acres) 1% Other (inc villages) 2577 hectares (6368 acres) 3% Common Land - approx 34,878 hectares (86,186 acres) 38%

National Trust Areas Holne Woods 69 hectares 170 acres Lydford Gorge 48 hectares 119 acres Plym Estate 237 hectares 586 acres Teign Valley 165 hectares 408 acres Trowlesworthy Warren 1,349 hectares 3,333 acres Hembury 163 hectares 403 acres Castle Drogo 308 hectares 761 acres Milfordleigh 7 hectares 17 acres Wheal Betsy 1 hectare 2 acres Woodcock Wood 8 hectares 20 acres

Reserves & Protected Areas National Nature Reserves East Dartmoor 366 hectares 904 acres Woods & Heath includes Bovey Valley & Yarner Wood & Trendlebere Down Dendles Wood 29 hectares 72 acres Black Tor Copse 29 hectares 72 acres Wistman's Wood & 170 hectares 420 acres Longaford Newtake Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) There are over 40 locations within the Dartmoor National Park covering 26,169 hectares (64,664 acres). The two main sites of North Dartmoor and South Dartmoor total over 20,000 hectares (49,420 acres). Devon Wildlife Trust Reserves Dart Valley 290 hectares 717 acres Lady’s Wood 3 hectares 7 acres Dunsford Wood 57 hectares 141 acres Mill Bottom 6 hectares 15 acres Blackadon 37 hectares 91 acres Lower East 2.5 hectares 6 acres

Dartmoor National Park Authority Apart from a variety of small sites (mainly car parks) the National Park Authority owns 1,451 ha (3,587 acres) including: Holne Moor 783 hectares 1,935 acres & Woods Haytor 421 hectares 1,040 acres Wray Cleave 31 hectares 77 acres Sanduck Wood 12 hectares 30 acres Casely Wood 8 hectares 20 acres Dendles Waste 80 hectares 198 acres Whiddon Scrubbs 8 hectares 20 acres Blackingstone Rock 5 hectares 12 acres Plasterdown 93 hectares 230 acres Trendlebere 10 hectares 25 acres

The ancient stone crosses of Dartmoor represent one of the moorland landscape's most enduring features. For centuries these powerful monoliths have stood as enigmatic sentinels upon the moor, their origins often lost in time. Many were set up in the days when the Church held great power, and the influence of the monasteries spread throughout the land. Some mark ancient trackways -but for many there is no explanation of their siting -or any certainty of their date. Such is their mystery. DARTMOOR STONE CROSSES by Bill Harrison

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