Medieval Archeology

Dartmoor’s first occupants were hunter-gatherers and, all over the moor, you can find archaeological evidence of our occupation of the land, right from the first ancient hunting communities, all the way through to today’s hill farmers and visitors. It is this sense of history that makes Dartmoor such an exciting and interesting place to explore, with ancient settlements, stone circles, granite crosses and bronze age hut circles to be discovered. 

Dartmoor in the Middle Ages was as beautiful and unique a landscape as it is today. During this period, the area was significantly impacted by climate change, with several centuries of a warmer climate and population growth seeing the fringes of Dartmoor being gradually colonised with stone-built dwellings such as those that can still be seen on Hound Tour.   

People living on medieval Dartmoor probably had several occupations and, as elsewhere in England at the time, they would have produced most of their own food. Soils were poor, but corn and hardier grains such as rye and oats could be grown on flatter fields or steeper slopes with the help of an ancient style of farming referred to as ‘strip lynchets.’ Competition for land forced people to start farming on the fringes of the higher moor, like their Bronze Age ancestors. They laid out new fields, sometimes based on the stone boundaries of prehistoric fields, and terraced the hillsides. In time, the high moor began to flourish once more. 

Towns also prospered as Dartmoor’s ability to provide both tin and wool saw the emergence of lucrative industries. Both industries had significant impact on the appearance of the moorland with sheep grazing changing the vegetation and tin streaming requiring the digging of trenches and redirection of water. As you walk across Dartmoor, most of the bigger dips and troughs you see in the land are the result of tin streaming and later, deeper digging. 

Dartmoor was a surprisingly industrial landscape at this time and surviving documents provide evidence for a thriving tin extraction industry which has left its mark on the moorland landscape to this day. The moors were thus a busy place in the late medieval period, but also a threatening and dangerous one and as a result people continued to erect stones, now in the shape of crosses, marking safe routes and perhaps providing places for prayer. 

Folklore and Legends

For centuries, Dartmoor folklore and legends have encompassed tales of pixies, ghosts, witchcraft, weird happenings, and a host of deep-seated beliefs. These myths and legends have been passed down from generation to generation, whispered by the fireside late at night and slowly becoming an oral tradition that remains to this day.  

There can be no question that Dartmoor and its landscape has helped fire people’s beliefs and imagination. From the thick mists that suddenly appear and roll across the moor to the dark, bottomless mires and the craggy granite tors, each lends an air of mystery and magic, all ripe for associated legends and tales. 

Today, we have a wealth of tales all of which relate the various strange events which took place somewhere in the Dartmoor landscape. No matter whether it’s a deep bottomless pool or a sleepy moorland hamlet, there will be a story to be told. 

The fascinating thing is that due to Dartmoor’s unspoilt landscape it is possible to visit many of the places which relate to the various tales and see them as they were when their events seemingly unfolded. 

So, when visiting Dartmoor why not take some time to journey into the past and witness for yourself the many mysterious places of the moor?