At
368 square miles (953 square kilometres), Dartmoor is
the largest open space in southern England. It
has wild open moorland, granite tors and wooded river
valleys. At its edge is a landscape of small fields
enclosed by stone walls and hedge banks. Dartmoor has
been a stock grazing area for at least 4,000 years and
it is, in the main, this kind of farming that has made
the landscape worthy of National Park status. Dartmoor's
open spaces and sheltered valleys give pleasure to millions
of people every year. By virtue of its outstanding natural
beauty Dartmoor was one of the first National Parks
to be designated in Britain, in 1951.
Dartmoor’s
blanket bog, upland oakwood, caves and mines are among
habitats of international importance. It is
home to buzzards, dormice and a great variety of lichens,
mosses, plants and insects. Globally threatened
species include the southern damselfly, marsh fritillary
butterfly and blue ground beetle.
Dartmoor’s
landscape is among the richest in western Europe in
terms of its archaeological remains. Over half
the stone rows in England are to be found on Dartmoor,
together with over 4,000 prehistoric hut circles,
over 10,000 hectares of Bronze Age field systems and
almost 2,500 buildings protected because of their
historic importance.
Within
the National Park there are many landowners, including
public bodies and private individuals. National
Parks are places where people live and work and Dartmoor
is home to some 33,000 people.
The
public can wander freely on foot or horseback over
Dartmoor common land and other access land, which
amounts to about half of the National Park area, and
there are over 400 miles (600 kilometres) of public
rights of way. Dartmoor is popular with many
different recreational user groups and the National
Park Authority produces activity guides for the most
popular recreational activities. These are obtainable
from National Park Information Centres or can be viewed
on the National Park Authority's website
(www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk).
Dartmoor
National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre
at Princetown is open to offer advice and help to
visitors (telephone 01822 890414). The Centre, open
seven days a week (closed only at Christmas and for
one week in March), provides a comprehensive information
service. There is a gallery and audio-visual room
and aural and tactile displays to enjoy. The Dartmoor
National Park Authority also operates Information
Centres at Postbridge, Newbridge and Haytor (these
are open from Easter to October).
There
are numerous attractions and places to stay within
the National Park where good food and drink, local
produce and small shops offer a warm welcome to visitors.
Authority
produces a free information newspaper, the Dartmoor
Visitor, which provides a wealth of information
for visitors and locals alike. For further information,
or to obtain a copy of the Dartmoor Visitor,
contact the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Tavistock
Road, Princetown, Yelverton, Devon PL20 6QF, telephone
(01822) 890414.
