Join Dartmoor National Park Ranger Ella Briens and Archaeologist Andy Crabb on Sunday 28 February 2016 as they lead a party of volunteers to uncover the remains of the Crazy Well farmstead.
They will be removing gorse with hand tools to expose the farmstead features which have become overgrown. The farmstead is in a splendid location south of Crazy Well Pool, within the Burrator reservoir catchment.
The site contains the ruins of a two roomed building, set within a small enclosure in the outer fields of “Classywell.” It is possible that the building was originally a “...
In an unusual twist for an art event, One Big Mop Film Productions and South West Art Workshops are coordinating a competition to create a painting to feature in the upcoming film The Darkness Of The Moor. The competition will also raise funds for The Prince’s Trust.
The Darkness of the Moor is written and directed by James Everett and produced by Paul Olavesen-Stabb. The three-stage project includes a 13-minute film followed by two feature film productions. The film will be shot on Dartmoor in Devon during spring / summer 2016 and the world premiere is expected to be in the UK at...
Show how much you love Dartmoor by helping Ranger Simon Lee look after the Haytor area on his Valentine’s Day volunteer day. On 14 February the second of Simon’s Sunday work days will begin at 10.30 am and volunteers will be carrying out work to maintain the Haytor reservoir leat.
Haytor reservoir leat is marked on the first edition Ordnance Survey map which was published in the 1880s and pre-dates any of the modern housing in Haytor Vale. It is thought that the modern South West Water reservoir was constructed over the original take off point on the River Lemon. The leat flows...
Tributes were paid to Joyce Cann, president of the Dartmoor Folk Festival and wife of the event founder, the late Bob Cann, at her funeral service held at St Andrew's Church in South Tawton.
Joyce was born in the parish of South Zeal, where she spent much of her life.
She was born Edna 'Joyce' Sampson on June 30, 1925 to Maria and William Sampson, one of three children, with an older sister called Dorothy, and a younger brother William.
She lived all her childhood at Addiscott, South Tawton, walking the two miles every day to school in South Zeal, and making the...
A new crowdfunding initiative has been launched by a University of Exeter PhD researcher in a bid to secure backing to help expand their bird conservation research.
Funding received will cover expenses such as equipment, running costs and compensation for the volunteers that take unpaid leave to support the research.
Donations can be made via the crowd-funding website, which features various bonuses for the amount donated. All donations are accepted, but pledging as much as £30 will result in a pack of postcards with a sketch of a bird species, designed by a member of the...
Monday 25th January sees the start of some major tree works on Roman Walk, adjacent to Exeter’s Roman wall.
The works form part of a broader project to prevent tree root damage to the Scheduled Ancient Monument and further enhance this area of Princesshay.
Woodbury-based Dartmoor Tree Surgeons will be undertaking the works over four days, with some of the larger sections of timber being dismantled with the help of a crane on Wednesday 27th January.
The Roman wall is Exeter’s largest single structure and incredibly, over 70% of it remains, having stood since its...
Firefighters have issued a warning to owners of thatched properties.
The warning comes following a fire which destroyed the Ring of Bells pub in North Bovey yesterday (Wednesday 13 January).
Ten fire engines attended the incident and fire crews worked throughout the night to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby thatched properties. A crew is still at the scene today to dampen down hotspots.
Firefighters covered neighbouring thatched properties with foam to prevent the fire spreading and worked hard to save as much of the building and its...
Dozens of firefighters are tackling a large thatch blaze at the Ring of Bells pub in North Bovey, Dartmoor.
Fire appliances from across Devon and Somerset were mobilised to reports of the thatch roof alight, shortly after 11.30am today (Wednesday 13 January).
Crews from, Chagford, Bovey Tracey, North Tawton, Newton Abbot, Okehampton, Ashburton, Torquay, Exeter Danes Castle, Totnes and the High Volume Pump from Taunton (crewed by Wellington) are in attendance.
A spokesperson for Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service said: “This is a thatched public house,...
TONY Beard, the Wag from Widecombe, recently received a gift from the Dartmoor Folk Festival Association (DFFA), which organises the annual three-day Dartmoor Folk Festival each August.
Tony has been the compere for the Music Hall held on the last night of the festival for the past 35 years.
In recognition of this, the festival association commissioned South Zeal artist Kari McGowan to paint a watercolour to convey thanks and appreciation of everything he has done.
Jason Rice, DFFA chairman, along with Mark Bazeley, artistic director and local musician and...
Now that the festive celebrations are over, why not come and shake off the winter blues with a day of conservation work at Haytor.
Dartmoor National Park Ranger Simon Lee will be working with volunteers on 10 January 2016, near the National Park Visitor Centre, to benefit the extremely rare bog hoverfly.
The day begins at 10.30 and finishes at 3.30 but you are welcome to come along for part of the day if you wish.
In recent years the bog hoverfly (Eristalis cryptarum) has been found only within a restricted area of Dartmoor. It is identified in the UK Biodiversity...
