Dartmoor National Park November Offerings

Writers, Poets, Myths and Legends on Dartmoor

Enjoy a special weekend celebrating Dartmoor's Writers, Poets, Myths and Legends , from Friday 5 November- Sunday 7 November 2004, featuring an entertaining and illuminating range of walks, talks and events.

The weekend starts on Friday 5 November, at 7.30 pm, with the famous Sticklepath Fireshow, celebrating its 21 st Anniversary at Finch Foundry and featuring music, puppets and drama, as well as a bonfire and stunning firework display.  Gates open at 6 pm. Telephone 07850 305 040 for further information.

On Saturday 6 November, 10.30 am, Dartmoor National Park Authority Guide and Sherlock Holmes enthusiast Tony Burgess will be On the Trail of the Hound .  This 4 hour walk from Princetown visits some of the well known, and not so well known, locations featured in Conan Doyle's famous novel - The Hound of the Baskervilles.  For further information telephone 01822 890414.

In the evening, National Park Guide and local historian, Paul Rendell will give a 1 hour talk, entitled Dartmoor Myths & Legends Exposed , at the Plume of Feathers Inn, Princetown.  This fascinating talk starts at 7.30 pm.  Telephone 01837 54727 for further information.

On Sunday 7 October, 10.30 am, continue your exploration of Dartmoor Myths & Legends with Paul Rendell, on a 3 hour walk, visiting locations talked about during the previous evening.  Those unable to attend the talk on Saturday evening may still join this fascinating walk starting at Hound Tor, near Manaton.  Telephone 01837 54727 for further information.

Also at 10.30am, Philip Weller will give a 1hr illustrated talk, at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, on Dartmoor author the Reverend Sabine Baring-Gould and his particularly blood curdling book, Guavas the Tinner .  He will follow-up his talk at 12.30pm with a fascinating 2 hour guided walk, along the Swincombe valley, visiting many of the locations featured in the book.

If all this has inspired you to develop your own writing skills, Caroline Wilson will host a 5 hour Moor Poets Workshop at The Church House, Widecombe-in-the-Moor (next to the National Trust shop).  Pre-booking is essential for this workshop, which runs from 10 am - 4 pm, on Sunday 7 November.  For further information please telephone 01626 853121.

Discover Dartmoor's Archaeology

Dartmoor National Park Authority has organised a special Archaeology Weekend (19-21 November 2004) to help more people appreciate the fascinating legacy left by Dartmoor's previous inhabitants over the centuries.

Claire Partridge, Information Officer (Activities), Dartmoor National Park Authority, said:

'Apart from its 368 square miles of stunning scenery, Dartmoor is amongst the richest in Western Europe in terms of its archaeological remains.  Our Archaeology Weekend involves a new series of guided walks and talks dedicated to helping more people appreciate its value and importance. '

The weekend starts on Friday evening (19 November) at 7.30 pm, when National Park Guide Paul Rendell will give an illustrated talk at Meavy Village Hall highlighting many of Dartmoor's treasures.  Paul will then lead a follow-up 3hr walk on Saturday morning at 10.30 am (20 November) starting from Sheepstor village, where some of the features from his previous evening's talk can be seen in situ.

Also on Saturday morning at 10.30 am, National Park Guide Debbie Jenkin will lead a 3hr archaeological walk through Three Time Zones in Three Hours .  This fascinating walk starts from Haytor.

On Sunday (21 November) at 10.30 am, National Park Guide Mike Perriam will lead a 4hr walk entitled Prehistoric History .  The walk starts from Merrivale and visits hut circles, reaves, burial sites, stone rows and stone circles.  The latter part of the walk will focus on Dartmoor's industrial heritage including tin mining and granite extraction.

An alternative Sunday morning walk, entitled Archaeology of the Down Tor Area, led by National Park Guide Ted Birkett-Dixon also starts at 10.30 am.  This 3hr walk will start from Norsworthy and explore evidence of Dartmoor's Bronze Age and its more recent industrial past.

For further information on any of the events taking place during Archaeology Weekend please telephone (01822) 890414.

DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 9JQ

(01626) 832093 fax (01626) 834684 e-mail communications@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk