A Brief History.

The history of Dartmoor Letterboxes can be traced back to 1854 when James Perrot of Chagford placed a bottle in a bank at Cranmere Pool, which is near the centre of the North Moor. Visitors would leave their visiting card inside to prove they had made the long journey which, on a good day, is hard going as the area is very wet and boggy. Today, there now stands a granite pillar with an iron door which now contains the visitors book and stamp.

Another early box is at Ducks Pool, sited in 1938 as a memorial to William Crossing, the famous Dartmoor author. Again, Ducks Pool is a very boggy area. Both boxes are shown on the current O.S. map 28.

Other early boxes are at Taw Marsh in 1894, Fur Tor in 1951 and Crow Tor in 1962.

Today, the number of letterboxes has grown and the current Catalogue of Dartmoor Letterboxes lists over 4300 which are known to be on the Moor.

Also listed in the catalogue are, boxes in public buildings, pubs and also traveling boxes carried by letterboxers. If these are included then the number increases to around 7500. Add to these the boxes that have been deleted from the catalogue due to time expiry although may be still on the moor and the many boxes which are not even recorded in the catalogue then the number is probably in excess of 10,000.

  There is no official committee that organises the hobby, but an informal Letterbox 100 club exists. To be a member and receive the badges and membership card a Letterboxer has to visit 100 boxes on the moor, and have visual proof of them.

Where can you find them?

There are certain area's of Dartmoor that have an abundance of letterboxes and it's possible to find 20-30 boxes in a day with a bit of careful searching. The area north and south of the Princetown to Tavistock road is well worth investigating bearing in mind that the Merrivale range starts just north of this road.

The slopes of Corndon, Mel and Yar Tor's are good area's to have a
look as are Pew, Feather and Heckwood Tor's.

They are seldom sited on the main Tor outcrop but more likely to be
found around the lower slopes. They are usually tucked under a boulder sometimes with a small rock or piece of turf covering the opening. You quickly learn what to look for.

If you feel inclined, most of the pubs on and around Dartmoor have a
letterbox behind the bar. Many public buildings have them too, along
with some shops. These are all listed in the catalogue.

There are many charity walk lists available. For a couple of pounds each you get a clue sheet and usually a starter stamp. These are only on the moor for a few months and are then removed. Depending on the number of boxes in the walk, up to 25 is not uncommon, the distances range from 2 miles to about 5 miles and is usually stated on the sheet.

Always replace found boxes carefully making sure that the lid is tight and that it is well hidden.

Some Useful Information.

For general queries about Letterboxing contact: Pat Clatworthy, Letterbox 100 club, I. Dryfield, Exminster, Exeter , Devon . EX6 8DJ. (01392) 832768

For catalogues and updates contact: Tony Moore , 25 Sanderspool Cross, South Brent, Devon . TQ10 9 LR. (01364) 73414 100club@bigfoot.com

Letterboxes should only be placed on public access land, which is marked by a purple line on map 28, and only in natural holes. They should not be placed in walls or in or near archaeological features such as hut circles, stone rows, cists or cairns. Search in a manner that does not damage the land.
Large areas of the north moor are used as military training grounds, namely, Okehampton, Willsworthy and Merrivale ranges and these are also marked on map 28 by the words "DANGER AREA" in red around the perimeter. When the area is in use, flags will be flying on prominent high points. Each area is also marked around the perimeter every 100 metres by red and white poles. Do not enter these areas when the flags are flying. Details of firing times are announced daily on local radio and in the local press. Information can also be obtained from the Dartmoor National Park Information Centres or by phoning 0800 4584868. Information is also available on the Web.

A leaflet is available from the Dartmoor National Park Authority called Letterboxing With Moor Care and Less Wear, which contains guidelines and bylaws which everyone using the moor must abide by.

Dartmoor does have it's own micro climate and because it's sunny and warm 3 miles away it can be wet, foggy and cold on the moor. It can change very rapidly so decent clothing is a must, as is good quality footwear. Sheep ticks can be a problem, particularly when walking in tall heather, gorse or bracken. Dogs tend to pick them up like magnets. It's worth getting the plastic tool made for the job from the local vet's surgery, it's easier than tweezers. A lot of letterboxers use a stick to probe under rocks etc. as adders can be hiding there.