HAWNS AND DENDLES
to Hawns and Dendles (opened on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays b y th e ow n er’ s perm ission), a b e a u tifu lly
w ooded narrow v a lle y th rou gh w hich th e riv er runs
o ver a series of cascades. T here is m uch d o u b t as to
the origin of the nam e o f th is p re tty va lley . O ne su ggestion is th a t it com es from th e W elsh Hawddies a thlosr
m eaning “ v e ry a ttr a c tiv e and tw ice b e a u tifu l.” A
m ore prosaic exp lan atio n is th a t it is d erived from th e
union of the nam es of form er ow ners, one M adam e H aw n s
and a Mr. D aniels. T h e low er p a th th rou gh th e
w ood leads to a w ooden bridge w hich spans a p ictu resqu e
chasm , and o ut on to a h ill ab ove th e trees, w hen ce
the p ath m a y be follow ed to th e startin g point. In stead
of return in g direct to Cornw ood th e jo u rn e y m a y be
con tin ued o u t on to th e M oor, and o ver S ta ll D ow n
into th e v a lle y of the E rm e, and thence b y w a y of H arfo rd
to Iv y b rid g e.
A n o th er excursion for w hich Cornwood is the startin g
place is across th e M oor to B ick leigh or D ousland. T h is
route leads p ast the Lee Moor China Clay Works, in th e
v ic in ity of w hich are some stone rows and h u t circles.
One row of considerable len gth , ending in a circle, stan d s
near the Cholw ich T o w n w orks, and on th e hill to w ard s
Shell T o p is a pound w ith h u t circles, and a stone seven
feet high, m arked w ith th e letters c and b , a p p a re n tly
erected to m ark th e boun daries of th e Cornw ood and
B ick leigh Com m ons. T o w ard s Trowlesworthy Tor and
near a large reservoir w h ich w as co n stru cted for th e
supply of the w orks is another group of rem ains,
including a circle sixteen feet in diam eter, w ith stone
rows and m enhirs. Roman Cross, w hich stan ds o u t
conspicuously on the hillside, is, accordin g to tra d itio n ,
erected on th e spot w here S t. P a u l preached on a visit
w hich he is supposed to h a ve p aid to B ritain . On a
m ound near it is a bound stone know n as Emmett’s Post.
On th e opposite side of th e v a lle y are num erous other
Remains.
The course of the Plym can be follow ed
down to Cadover Bridge, w hence th e road north-
will lead to Me
IVYBRIDGE h i
the w ood is p re tty . A w eir d iverts p ra ctica lly all the
w ater from the low er p art of the river in to reservoirs
for the use of the pap er m ill, b u t ab ove th is th e stream
flows over a num ber of sm all cascades in a v e ry picturesque
style. '-
m ile or so, and H arfo rd B ridge, w hich is h alf a m ile
beyon d, can only be reached b y scram blin g along a
rough fisherm en’s p ath . I t is better, therefore, to tak e
th e road over the I v y B ridge. T h e villa ge of Harford
w as the birth p lace of John P rideaux, B ishop of W orcester,
and in the little Perpendicular church (St. P e tro ck ’s)
is a m onum ent w hich he erected in m em ory of his parents
and their fam ily. T here is also an effigy in p late arm our
o f T hom as W illiam s, som etim e Speaker of th e H ouse
o f Com m ons. Harford Hall, now a farm house, w as once
th e residence of E liza b e th Chudleigh, D uchess of K in gston , w ho in 1776 w as condem ned b y the peers for b igam y,
in w h at, accordin g to m odern ideas, seems a v e ry harsh
m anner. She had been trick ed into a m arriage w hen a
girl of eighteen and on ly lived w ith her husband tw o
d ays. F iv e and tw e n ty years after, th e C on sistory
C o u rt pronounced th is m arriage null and void, and she
m arried the second D u ke of K in gston. W hen, on the
D u k e ’s death, she w as found to be the in heritor of his
fortune, his disappointed relatives con tested the v a lid ity
o f the Consistory C o u rt’s decree, and she w as declared
b y the H ouse of L ords to h ave been g u ilty of bigam y,
th e p en alty for w hich in th a t d a y w as eith er d eath or
im prisonm ent and bran ding in the hand. I t is p leasan t
t o kn ow th a t E liza b e th got safely a w a y to th e Contin en t and so avoided punishm ent.
Just below H arford Church is the bridge, crossing
w h ich is th e road to Cornw ood. T h e Valley of the Erme
is exceed in gly rich in prehistoric rem ains. In it is the
longest Stone Row on D artm oor ; indeed, it is said to
be the longest of such rem ains in the w orld. I t begins
w ith a circle abou t 60 feet in diam eter on Staldon
Moor, and then runs alm ost due n orth for a distance of
o v e r tw o m iles— tw o m iles and an eighth to be e x a c t—
IVYBRIDGE, SOUTH BRENT AND CORNWOOD.
A
L T H O U G H , in com parison w ith other parts, the
south side of the M oor is som ew hat neglected,
a v e ry agreeable h o lid ay m a y be spent in alm ost a n y
p art of th e d istrict w hich lies betw een N ew ton A b b o t
and Cornw ood. T h e m ain line of th e G reat W estern
ra ilw a y here runs throu gh a co u n try in w hich th e rou ghness of D artm o o r gives place to softer beauties, b u t
th e M oor form s th e b ackgroun d to th e scen ery to the
north, and th e rivers, th o u gh th e y are alm ost in sight
o f th e sea, h a ve h a rd ly left its rugged shelter. Newton
Abbot and its neighbourhood are described in our Guide
to Torquay and South Devon, to w hich the reader w ho
con tem p lates exploring th a t district is referred. I t is
sufficient to say here th a t there are excellen t coaching
excursions over th e M oor from N ew ton A b b o t, and th a t,
bein g situated on the m ain line of the railw ay, and also
th e ju n ction of the bran ch line to B o v e y T ra ce y and
M oreton H am p stead, it is a con venient p o in t from
w h ich to reach m an y p arts of the Moor. South B ren t,
Iv y b rid g e and Cornw ood are near th e M oor and m ay
be m ade centres for some good w alkin g excursions.
Ivyb rid g e.
Hotels and Tariffs.— See Introduction.
Places of Worship, with hours of Sunday services :—
St. John’s Church, 11.o and 6.30. Wesleyan and Congregational, 11.0 and
6.30.
Iv y b rid g e is n ot an in terestin g place in itself. Its
C h urch (St. John ’s) is new and has no special feature
e x ce p t a good reredos in m osaic w ork. In th e ch u rch
y ard is the picturesque ruin of an older church, which,
how ever, o n ly dates from th e beginning of th e last
ce n tu ry . T h e w alk under the ra ilw a y v ia d u ct throu gh
SOUTH BRENT
go b y w a y of Shaugh and Shaugh B rid ge to B ickleigh
(see p. 97).
South Brent.
S outh B ren t is a ty p ic a l m oorland tow n . I t has
an ancient w eath er-
th e D ecorated and Perp endicu lar styles, w ith a lo w to w er
o f N orm an style. T h e fo n t is N orm an , and there are
piscinae in the chan cel and in the chapels a t th e eastern
end of each of th e aisles. T h e river A vo n runs here
th rou gh a narrow gorge and foam s and tum bles o ver a
series of little cascades in v e ry rom an tic fashion. F rom
near th e church there is a p a th th rou gh a w ood w hich
gives p icturesque view s of th e river righ t up to the Lydia
Bridge, w here it is m o st p icturesque of all.
Brent Hill
(1,0 17 feet), near the v illa ge , com m ands exten sive view s,
northw ard over m uch of D artm oor to th e d istan t heights
o f E xm oor, w hile to th e south it includes th e fertile
d istrict of the So u th H am s, bordered b y th e sea. T here
w as form erly a chapel on th e sum m it of the hill, and
the lines m a y also be tra ced of an an cien t cam p and
other rem ains of occup ation in prehistoric tim es. A
w alk of tw o and a h alf m iles, first up the hill beyon d
L y d ia B rid ge and then alon g the ban k of the river, leads
to Shipley Bridge, w hich is ch a rm in g ly situated. T h e
M oor is entered a little above the bridge, betw een B la ck
T o r and S h ip ley T or. On the left as w e ascend tow ards
B la c k T o r is a group of h u t circles, w hile on th e high
ground beyon d th e T o r are the circles called The Rings.
T h e w hole neighbourhood is rich in prehistoric rem ains,
and there is also m uch evidence of th e labou r of th e
tinners.
Huntingdon’s Cross, w hich is situ ated on th e left b a n k
of th e A v o n near th e ju n ction of the river w ith th e
W ellabrook, m arks th e p lace a t w h ich the Abbots Way
ERME VALLEY— CORNWOOD to a barrow on Green Hill.
In its course it crosses the Erme from west to east, and it also crosses the boggy tributary Red Lake.
This remarkable stone row when crossing the Erme passes near to but does not touch Erme Pound, an enclosure as interesting as Grimspound, though smaller.
South of this pound is another short row, also connected with a circle and a kistvaen,and on the south side of Staldon Moor are others Hut circles, cairns and kistvaens are numerous in the neighbourhood.
All along the stream and on several of its tributaries are evidences of extensive tin streaming and smelting operations.
By bearing a little to the north-
a course may be steered for Princetown , passing on the way Nun’s Cross p. 94. The whole distance from Ivybridge is fourteen miles.
Cornwood.
As the starting point for two or three interesting excursions, Cornwood is visited by large numbers of persons during the
Summer.
The Church . St. M ichael’ s, which is passed on the way from the station , dates from
the fifteen the century, and is chiefly in th e Perp endicu lar
style, the to w er and chancel bein g the oldest portions.
I t has been restored b u t retains th e ancient sedilia
and a piscina, and has a com m union rail of alab aster
and m arble. Fardel, an old farm house, w as once the
p ro p erty of th e R aleigh fam ily. Sir W a lter R a leig h ’s
fath er w as born here, b u t th e m ore distinguished son
w as born a t H ayes B a rto n in E a st D evon . In th e
centre of the picturesque village is a handsom e drinkin g
foun tain erected to th e m em ory of L ord B la ch fo rd ,
w ho received his title as a rew ard for good service in
th e Colonial Office. A lane on th e righ t im m ed iately
b eyon d this m em orial leads th rou gh a w ood to w ard s
th e R iv e r Y e alm , and follow in g the p ath on th e rig h t
b a n k w e com e o u t again on th e road near an old brid ge.
H a lf a m ile beyon d this is th e farm gate w hich leads
B U C K F A S T A B B E Y -
115
crossed the Avon . The path is here fairly distinct.
Petre’s Cross, on W estern W h itab u rro w , o ver w h ich th e
A bbots W a y ran to w ard s th e E rm e V a lle y , w as m u tila ted
b y w orkm en h a lf a ce n tu ry ago, its corners bein g kn o cked
off and the sh aft used in th e erection of a h u t in connection
w ith some neighbouring p ea t w orks.
F rom the v a lle y of th e A v o n th e course pursued
b y th e old m onks m a y be follow ed w estw ard o ver th e
m oorland to th e v a lle y of th e E rm e (p. 111) or eastward in the direction of B u ck fastleig h , w here is still
carried on th e w oollen tra d e for w h ich in form er y ea rs
the W est of E n glan d w as fam ous. A m ile from th is
tow n is
Buckfast Abbey,
originally founded in 981, w here a co m m u n ity of th e
Benedictine O rder has establish ed itself in recent
years, and has reared upon th e ven erable fo u n d ations a new religious establishm ent. O verlookin g
the D a rt betw een B u ck fa st and H olne B rid ge is a hill
crowned w ith an an cien t cam p kn ow n as Hembury
Castle. I t had an earthen ram p art and is placed am id
very fine scenery. On th e w a y b a ck to S o u th B re n t
the road passes through th e village of
Dean Prior,
of w hich the poet Herrick was vicar. He was presented to the living in 1629, and held it for eighteen years, when he was 'ejected . Though the parish is situated a id
some of th e best scenery in th e co u n ty, H errick did
not love “ dull Devonshire,” as he called it, and his
farewell to Dean Bourn is full of abuse of th e p r e tty
Stream and of the people liv in g in th e v ic in it y :
A people currish ; churlish as the seas ;
And rude (almost) as rudest savages.
Perhaps he did n ot find co u n try life so uncongenial as these lines w ou ld lead one to suppose, for
t here is m uch in praise of it in Hesperides to set o ff
ERME VALLEY— CORNWOOD to a barrow on Green Hill.
In its course it crosses the Erme from w est to east, and it also crosses the boggy tributary Red Lake.
This remarkable stone row when crossing the Erme passes near to but does not touch Erme Pound, an enclosure as interesting as Grimspound, though smaller.
South of th is pound is another short row, also connected w ith a circle and a kistvaen , and on th e south side of Staldon Moor are others
Hut circles, cairns and kistvaens are numerous in the neighbourhood.
All along the stream and on several of its tributaries are evidences of extensive tin streaming and smelting operations.
By bearing a little to the north-
a course m a y be steered for Princetow n , passing on the
w a y N u n ’s Cross (p. 94). T h e w hole distan ce from
Iv y b rid g e is fourteen miles.
C ornw ood.
A s the startin g poin t for tw o or three in terestin g
excursions, Cornw ood is visited b y large num bers of
persons during th e sum m er. T h e C h urch (St. M ichael’ s),
w hich is passed on th e w a y from the statio n , dates from
the fifteen th cen tu ry, and is chiefly in th e Perp endicu lar
style, the to w er and chancel bein g the oldest portions.
I t has been restored b u t retains th e ancient sedilia
and a piscina, and has a com m union rail of alab aster
and m arble. Fardel, an old farm house, w as once the
p ro p erty of th e R aleigh fam ily. Sir W a lter R a leig h ’s
fath er w as born here, b u t th e m ore distinguished son
w as born a t H ayes B a rto n in E a st D evon . In th e
centre of the picturesque village is a handsom e drinkin g
foun tain erected to th e m em ory of L ord B la ch fo rd ,
w ho received his title as a rew ard for good service in
th e Colonial Office. A lane on th e righ t im m ed iately
b eyon d this m em orial leads th rou gh a w ood to w ard s
th e R iv e r Y e alm , and follow in g the p ath on th e rig h t
b a n k w e com e o u t again on th e road near an old brid ge.
H a lf a m ile beyon d this is th e farm gate w hich leads
HAWNS AND DENDLES
to Hawns and Dendles (opened on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays b y th e ow n er’ s perm ission), a b e a u tifu lly
w ooded narrow v a lle y th rou gh w hich th e riv er runs
o ver a series of cascades. T here is m uch d o u b t as to
the origin of the nam e o f th is p re tty va lley . O ne su ggestion is th a t it com es from th e W elsh Hawddies a thlosr
m eaning “ v e ry a ttr a c tiv e and tw ice b e a u tifu l.” A
m ore prosaic exp lan atio n is th a t it is d erived from th e
union of the nam es of form er ow ners, one M adam e H aw n s
and a Mr. D aniels. T h e low er p a th th rou gh th e
w ood leads to a w ooden bridge w hich spans a p ictu resqu e
chasm , and o ut on to a h ill ab ove th e trees, w hen ce
the p ath m a y be follow ed to th e startin g point. In stead
of return in g direct to Cornw ood th e jo u rn e y m a y be
con tin ued o u t on to th e M oor, and o ver S ta ll D ow n
into th e v a lle y of the E rm e, and thence b y w a y of H arfo rd
to Iv y b rid g e.
A n o th er excursion for w hich Cornwood is the startin g
place is across th e M oor to B ick leigh or D ousland. T h is
route leads p ast the Lee Moor China Clay Works, in th e
v ic in ity of w hich are some stone rows and h u t circles.
One row of considerable len gth , ending in a circle, stan d s
near the Cholw ich T o w n w orks, and on th e hill to w ard s
Shell T o p is a pound w ith h u t circles, and a stone seven
feet high, m arked w ith th e letters c and b , a p p a re n tly
erected to m ark th e boun daries of th e Cornw ood and
B ick leigh Com m ons. T o w ard s Trowlesworthy Tor and
near a large reservoir w h ich w as co n stru cted for th e
supply of the w orks is another group of rem ains,
including a circle sixteen feet in diam eter, w ith stone
rows and m enhirs. Roman Cross, w hich stan ds o u t
conspicuously on the hillside, is, accordin g to tra d itio n ,
erected on th e spot w here S t. P a u l preached on a visit
w hich he is supposed to h a ve p aid to B ritain . On a
m ound near it is a bound stone know n as Emmett’s Post.
On th e opposite side of th e v a lle y are num erous other
Remains.
The course of the Plym can be follow ed
down to Cadover Bridge, w hence th e road north-
will lead to Me
IVYBRIDGE . 111
the wood is pretty . A weir diverts practically all the
water from the lower p art of the river in to reservoirs
for the use of the paper mill, but above this the stream
flows over a num ber of sm all cascades in a v e ry picturesque
Style. ' Unfortunately, this walk comes to an end in a
m ile or so, and Harford Bridge, which is half a mile
beyond, can only be reached b y scram bling along a
rough fishermen’s path . I t is better, therefore, to tak e
th e road over the I v y B ridge. T h e villa ge of Harford
w as the birth p lace of John P rideaux, B ishop of W orcester,
and in the little Perpendicular church (St. P e tro ck ’s)
is a m onum ent w hich he erected in m em ory of his parents
and their fam ily. T here is also an effigy in p late arm our
o f T hom as W illiam s, som etim e Speaker of th e H ouse
o f Com m ons. Harford Hall, now a farm house, w as once
th e residence of E liza b e th Chudleigh, D uchess of K in gston , w ho in 1776 w as condem ned b y the peers for b igam y,
in w h at, accordin g to m odern ideas, seems a v e ry harsh
m anner. She had been trick ed into a m arriage w hen a
girl of eighteen and on ly lived w ith her husband tw o
d ays. F iv e and tw e n ty years after, th e C on sistory
C o u rt pronounced th is m arriage null and void, and she
m arried the second D u ke of K in gston. W hen, on the
D u k e ’s death, she w as found to be the in heritor of his
fortune, his disappointed relatives con tested the v a lid ity
o f the Consistory C o u rt’s decree, and she w as declared
b y the H ouse of L ords to h ave been g u ilty of bigam y,
th e p en alty for w hich in th a t d a y w as eith er d eath or
im prisonm ent and bran ding in the hand. I t is p leasan t
t o kn ow th a t E liza b e th got safely a w a y to th e Contin en t and so avoided punishm ent.
Just below H arford Church is the bridge, crossing
w h ich is th e road to Cornw ood. T h e Valley of the Erme
is exceed in gly rich in prehistoric rem ains. In it is the
longest Stone Row on D artm oor ; indeed, it is said to
be the longest of such rem ains in the w orld. I t begins
w ith a circle abou t 60 feet in diam eter on Staldon
Moor, and then runs alm ost due n orth for a distance of
o v e r tw o m iles— tw o m iles and an eighth to be e x a c t—
IVYBRIDGE, SOUTH BRENT AND CORNWOOD.
ALTHOUGH , in comparison with other parts, the south side of the Moor is somewhat neglected,
a very agreeable holiday may be spent in almost any part of the district which lies between Newton Abbot
and Cornwood.
The main line of the Great Western railway here runs through a country in which the roughness of Dartmoor gives place to softer beauties, but the Moor forms the background to the scenery to the north, and the rivers, though they are almost in sight
of the sea, h a ve h a rd ly left its rugged shelter. Newton
Abbot and its neighbourhood are described in our Guide
to Torquay and South Devon, to which the reader w ho
con tem plates exploring that district is referred. It is
sufficient to say here that there are excellent coaching
excursions over the Moor from Newton Abbot, and that,
being situated on the main line of the railway, and also
th junction of the branch line to Bovey Tracey and
MoretonHampstead, it is a convenient point from
which to reach many parts of the Moor.
South Brent, Ivybridge and Cornwood are near the Moor and may be made centres for some good walking excursions.
Ivybridge.
Hotels and Tariffs.— See Introduction.
Places of Worship, with hours of Sunday services :—
St. John’s Church, 11.o and 6.30. Wesleyan and Congregational, 11.0 and
6.30.
Ivy bridge is not an interesting place in itself. Its
C hurch (St. John ’s) is new and has no special feature
e x ce p t a good reredos in m osaic w ork. In th e chu rch
y ard is the picturesque ruin of an older church, which,
how ever, o n ly dates from th e beginning of th e last
century .
T h e walk under the railway viaduct through
SOUTH BRENT go by way of Shaugh and Shaugh Bridge to Bickleigh
(see p. 97).
South Brent is a typical moorland town . It has an ancient weather-
o f N orm an style. T h e fo n t is N orm an , and there are
piscinae in the chan cel and in the chapels a t th e eastern
end of each of th e aisles. T h e river A vo n runs here
th rou gh a narrow gorge and foam s and tum bles o ver a
series of little cascades in v e ry rom an tic fashion. F rom
near th e church there is a p a th th rou gh a w ood w hich
gives p icturesque view s of th e river righ t up to the Lydia
Bridge, w here it is m o st p icturesque of all.
Brent Hill
(1,0 17 feet), near the v illa ge , com m ands exten sive view s,
northw ard over m uch of D artm oor to th e d istan t heights
o f E xm oor, w hile to th e south it includes th e fertile
d istrict of the So u th H am s, bordered b y th e sea. T here
w as form erly a chapel on th e sum m it of the hill, and
the lines m a y also be tra ced of an an cien t cam p and
other rem ains of occup ation in prehistoric tim es. A
w alk of tw o and a h alf m iles, first up the hill beyon d
L y d ia B rid ge and then alon g the ban k of the river, leads
to Shipley Bridge, w hich is ch a rm in g ly situated. T h e
M oor is entered a little above the bridge, betw een B la ck
T o r and S h ip ley T or. On the left as w e ascend tow ards
B la c k T o r is a group of h u t circles, w hile on th e high
ground beyon d th e T o r are the circles called The Rings.
T h e w hole neighbourhood is rich in prehistoric rem ains,
and there is also m uch evidence of th e labou r of th e
tinners.
Huntingdon’s Cross, w hich is situ ated on th e left b a n k
of th e A v o n near th e ju n ction of the river w ith th e
W ellabrook, m arks th e p lace a t w h ich the Abbots Way
B U C K F A S T A B B E Y -
crossed th e A vo n . T h e p a th is here fa irly d istin ct.
Petre’s Cross, on W estern W h itab u rro w , o ver w h ich th e
A bbots W a y ran to w ard s th e E rm e V a lle y , w as m u tila ted
b y w orkm en h a lf a ce n tu ry ago, its corners bein g kn o cked
off and the sh aft used in th e erection of a h u t in connection
w ith some neighbouring p ea t w orks.
F rom the v a lle y of th e A v o n th e course pursued
b y th e old m onks m a y be follow ed w estw ard o ver th e
m oorland to th e v a lle y of th e E rm e (p. 111) or eastward in the direction of B u ck fastleig h , w here is still
carried on th e w oollen tra d e for w h ich in form er y ea rs
the W est of E n glan d w as fam ous. A m ile from th is
tow n is
Buckfast Abbey,
originally founded in 981, w here a co m m u n ity of th e
Benedictine O rder has establish ed itself in recent
years, and has reared upon th e ven erable fo u n d ations a new religious establishm ent. O verlookin g
the D a rt betw een B u ck fa st and H olne B rid ge is a hill
crowned w ith an an cien t cam p kn ow n as Hembury
Castle. I t had an earthen ram p art and is placed am id
very fine scenery. On th e w a y b a ck to S o u th B re n t
th e road passes throu gh th e village of
Dean Prior,
of w hich the poet H errick w as vicar. H e w as presen ted
to the livin g in 1629, and held it for eighteen years, w hen
he w a s 'e je cte d . T h o u gh the parish is situ ated am id
some of th e best scenery in th e co u n ty, H errick did
not lo v e “ dull D evo n sh ire,” as he called it, and his
f arewell to Dean Bourn is full of abuse of th e p r e tty
s ( ream and of the people liv in g in th e v ic in it y :
A people currish ; churlish as the seas ;
And rude (almost) as rudest savages.
Perhaps he did n ot find co u n try life so uncongenial as these lines w ou ld lead one to suppose, for
t here is m uch in praise of it in Hesperides to set o ff
LAND AND PEOPLE
In a balanced society land is inseparable from people,
It shapes them as working folk, breeds in their minds a respectful attitude toward birth and death;
and in every region, every parish, Us discipline has been the source of originality of thought and culture. In the market towns, villages and hamlets of the Dart* moor borderland the shaping process is still strong.
Agriculture gives to these places a unity and connects the upland with the rest of the county.
Modern Dartmoor also attracts many visitois annually, and it is probable that more money is earned from tourism than from agriculture. Farmers and their wives may catei for visitors in order to make a profit; but they also dispense good country fare—honey, cream, butter, bacon, roast beef and pasties —and contribute toward a proper understanding between town and country. Tourism and agriculture are likely to remain as the chief supports of the Dartmoor native.
It is agriculture that appeals most to the Dartmoor farmers and commoners; and their work is never easy because the land gi ves rise to special problems. Whether at the heart of the Mooi where the land is of poor quality—or on the borders where u is suitable for the pasturage of sheep and cattle, there is evidence ol constant struggle between man’s desire for cultivation and the slow wilfulness of the Moor to spread. In the survey devoted 11 • Land Utilization, edited by Professor Dudley Stamp, it was estimated that:
v “There are considerable possibilities of afforestation on and around Dartmoor. There are old established plantations at 1,260 to over 1,500 feet north of Princetown, large new afforested areas south of Postbridge, and the Forestry Coin mission area around the new reservoir south-
158
In the same survey the special region from Chagford to More-
The Dartmoor farmer has found a difficulty in making a livelihood merely from the raising of sheep and cattle. It was estimated in 1946 that about 1,138 farmers took advantage of moorland grazing, and the Duchy of Cornwall calculated that twenty-
The economic position of the Dartmoor commoners could be the subject of much controversy. Dr Ian Moore, Principal of Scale Hayne Agricultural College, Newton Abbots and an authority on the use of grassland, has told me that so far as Dartmoor is concerned there is a great potential in relation to the improvement of grassland.
“But the whole question is largely one of economics and many of the Dartmoor farmers have not the capital available to embark upon schemes of improvement, such as ploughing and re-
159
DARTMOOR
what is needed of British agriculture. If we were driven to i point of relying upon home resources then the improvement of Dartmoor and like moorland areas would have to he faced.”
Living in liis compact stone-
Some commoners in a favourable geographical position and linked to the ancient Venville tradition, arc able to own sheep though they neither own nor rent land. They farm out their sheep under what is called the “half-
The farms are made up of small fields enclosed within the grey stone walls or hedges.
“It is estimated that in some parishes a quarter of the enclosures are less than two acres in size and there are some in which single-
• 160
Civing in liis compact stone-
Sratimtrc
what is needed of British agriculture. If we were driven to i point of relying upon home resources then the improvement of Dartmoor and like moorland areas would have to he faced.”
Lome commoners in a favourable geographical position and linked to the ancient Venville tradition, arc able to own sheep though they neither own nor rent land. They farm out their sheep under what is called the “half-
The farms are made up of small fields enclosed within the grey stone walls or hedges.
“It is estimated that in some parishes a quarter of the enclosures are less than two acres in size and there are some in which single-
• 160
Cranium
