Crumpets and Ginger Beer: Day 26: In heaven in Devon.....

A splendid night in our stylish BnB in Tavistock. It even has a proper shower recess. Mind you it has the usual levers, crankshafts, pistons and controls that British showers are famous for, but what a novelty not climbing into and out of a bath! This reminds me that when we were in our Cumbrian house, one of the owner’s instructions read: “Stopcock. This is in the utility room and is an overhead red tap attached to the pipes. This has been marked out to assist you.” Thankfully an occasion never arose where we were required to actually deal with the stopcock. Its purpose remains a complete mystery to us.

Once breakfast was done and dusted today, we were off early to Dartmoor National Park where we spent a very memorable couple of hours last time we were here, at the Merrivale Standing Stones. It was a simply magical experience last time as we had the place to ourselves – I was worried that this time every man and his dog would be there, being a Saturday in spring, as opposed to a weekday in winter.

But we were lucky! We were there early enough that it was jist us! So we were able to walk slowly down the avenue again, conscious of its history as ancient, sacred ground.

Even better was the fact that we were not strapped for time today. Looking south from the standing stones we could see a single menhir (longstone) about 200 metres away.

So we walked towards that and suddenly found a small stone circle. Not as impressive perhaps as some but it certainly gave me a thrill, particularly as we missed it last time.

And everywhere there are the remains of Bronze Age round-houses and burial mounds. It was simply fabulous to be among all this ancient history. There are known to be over 5000 pre-historic round house remains on Dartmoor (35 of them are at Merrivale) as well as 75 sets of stone avenues. The place is very poorly sign-posted and we think that may be deliberate. You have to really want to find something - it sure ain't handed to you on a platter. We spent a fruitless hour on a search today for a site called Grimspound - a prehistoric enclosed settlement containing the remains of round houses. There are actually 490 of these enclosed settlements in Dartmoor but not all are accessible. Grimspound is supposed to be accessible but alas, not to us! We did see plenty of other ancient cists and cairns and tors while looking for it though.

4000 years ago the climate in Dartmoor was much milder and what is now moorland was arable. It was well-populated for a couple of thousand years but as the land's fertility declined, so did the population, who moved elsewhere. Because the moorland soil was considered inferior, it was left untouched and much of this evidence of bronze age and iron age settlement just sat there languishing. If the land had been arable, of course, all the glorious stone avenues and circles and cairns would have long gone. The Victorians actually vandalised a great deal of stonework, but the sheer vastness of it ensures much survives. Thank heavens!

A trip to Dartmoor is never complete without a picture of a Dartmoor pony. This one's looking a tad shabby but I think he's losing his winter coat.

We also saw heaps of sheep, many of which lie down and sun themselves in the middle of the road. There are signs warning drivers of this. We had this experience twice today.

Postbridge

After lunch at Moretonhampstead (delicious!) we drove to Postbridge (still in Dartmoor National park) and had a wander there up to the top of a moor.

By this time the teeming multitudes were all out and about. I'm so glad we got to Dartmoor very early. It was quite cold and very windy then but the sun came out eventually and I'd say the temperature reached about 15 degrees - certainly no more than that. Well, the poms were all out in their shorts and t-shirts like it was a heatwave - hardly anyone was as rugged up as us.

As a finale to our day we went to the Dartmoor Prison Museum. A most peculiar place and not very illuminating. I think their curator is actually just a prison guard who types up explanatory cards to accompany not-very-interesting exhibits in his lunch hour. eg Caption on card beside a pair of handcuffs: "Handcuffs."

And finally, drinks and dinner again tonight at the Cornish Arms. Geoff had a couple of St Austells pale ales. Sorry boys, but he's crook as Rookwood this evening and unable to come to the keyboard. I'll send him your regards.

A few more pics from today: