Sheer Beauty, Dartmoor

[GeoffD]

Today, I discovered the Lord Mayor's Bookshop, where old Brisbane City Council Library books go to find good homes. Because of my strong Devon heritage (despite my paternal line being from the wrong side of the Tamar :D at Terry), I was sucked in by a book entitled DARTMOOR, The Threatened Wilderness, author Brian Carter.

Well, I'm gobsmacked (for want of a better word). Not just the photos, but the descriptions of the localities by somebody who obviously loves the place. And there are 'my' Devon names to some of the people photographed, even though Dartmoor is a long way from Otter Valley (well, not by Aussie measures of distance); Carter, White, Harris. And Terry, there's a photo of a Richard Leaman shearing sheep.

And then I found the gem - there's a place named Drewsteignton with a pub called The Drew Arms. |cheers|

Book details: A Channel Four book, published 1987 by Century Hutchinson Ltd.
ISBN 0 7126 1756 6

[Terry]

Hi Geoff, there's nothing like seeing it in the flesh! But Brian Carter has to be the next best thing, he is , in my opinion, one of the most descriptive writers around. He regularly writes in our local paper about his walks around the area.
Dartmoor is a living, thriving area of Devon, although in danger of being spoilt in some places due to its popularity, but nothing beats being up there on a really nice clear summer's day. Some parts of the Moor have views to the sea, some parts have views of glorious river valleys, some parts are just wild open moor.
Ancient remains abound, hut circles, stone rows, later mining activity for both minerals and stone, around every corner ther is something different. Small villages, especially around the fringes, with chocolate box cottages and of course Widecombe, that lovely place right in the heart of the moor, where my Leamans originate from.
A truly wonderful place in summer, but beware the winters can be severe, but that is to the advantage of places like Torbay as the Moor protects us from the north.
You mention Drewsteignton, well Castle Drogo is just up the hill from there- a huge reasonably modern 20th century building of granite, quite foreboding, designed by Lutyens and now in the care of the National Trust. Said to be the last house of this grandeur to be built in England.

[GeoffD]

But Brian Carter has to be the next best thing, he is , in my opinion, one of the most descriptive writers around. He regularly writes in our local paper about his walks around the area.

So he's still writing for the paper then - that was mentioned in the blurb, but as the book is 19 years old I wondered about that. Must check to see if the South Devon Whatsit has any on-line stuff.


You mention Drewsteignton, well Castle Drogo is just up the hill from there- :cool: But The Drew Arms sounds more my style.


The Leaman photographed for the book could be one of yours?

PS Progress report; onto the second book of Clayhidon.

[busyglen]

Sorry to crash in here boys, as I really love Devon myself....but...thought you might like to see a view from our hotel garden at Batheaston, nr. Bath. We sat and listened to the river flowing past, with a watermill turning, and the birds singing...peace...it was heaven and a hundred miles away from the building work that we escaped from for a few days. I've got some more photos from the other end of the garden with a weir and the old toll bridge, but I won't encroach on your patch any longer. ;) Eureka! It worked at last.

Glenys

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~puxty/save0066.jpg

[GeoffD]

Busyglen, all I can say is "noice".

(You'll understand that better when 'Kath and Kim' hit your TV screens.)

This thread could expand to accommodate people's favourite spots. Anybody got any nice views around Illogan (well across the Tamar).