Get your Hands on Dartmoor's Heritage this half term

18 May 2005

Get your Hands On Dartmoor’s Heritage this half term

On Bank Holiday Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 May, Princetown will be the place to head for to enjoy events and activities for all ages, organised by Dartmoor National Park Authority to celebrate Dartmoor’s cultural heritage. With the emphasis very much being Hands On, there will be much to see and do and take an active part in – and all free of charge.

On both days, Devon’s ‘Finds’ Officer will be on hand to identify all those archaeological type treasures, from curious coins to perplexing pots, which people have found while digging in the garden, renovating the coal cellar or out walking.

Children can have fun and learn about Dartmoor’s past - carrying out their own archaeological excavations in sand dig boxes, taking part in quizzes, suitable for a variety of ages, or enjoying a Dartmoor treasure hunt - find the clues and win a prize!

See how prehistoric people made tools from flint, how the traditional skills of stone walling and stone splitting continue to be used today, and how pottery was created using locally sourced materials.

There will be a ‘boots on’ element to the event too, with a wide range of guided walks, two of which will also be very much Hands On; one following the trail of Sherlock Holmes and The Hound of the Baskervilles to Grimpen Mire, the other exploring Princetown’s past in an exciting interactive family theatre story. A specially organised vintage bus will provide free transport to walk start points.

There will be face painting, stalls and story tellers, and Tony Beard, ‘The Wag from Widecombe’ will be entertaining on Monday evening with tales on a Dartmoor theme. The Dartmoor Prison Museum will also be laying on special events over the two days, including demonstrations by the Prison sniffer dogs and guided walks to the American and French Prisoner of War cemeteries.

Enjoy the Focus on Heritage exhibition at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, containing a collection of stunning photographs celebrating Dartmoor’s archaeology, historic buildings, customs and traditions as well as a unique collection of artefacts, from prehistory to the 20th century. There is also a presentation of oral history recordings of life in Princetown - with opportunities to contribute further to these – and a special screening of the 1950s film A Brief Journey, set on Dartmoor.

Events will be running from 10 am till late on Monday 30 May and 10 am till 5 pm on Tuesday 31 May. The High Moorland Visitor Centre will stay open until 6 pm on Bank Holiday Monday. All events are free. For a copy of the full programme of events visit www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk or telephone 01822 890414.

Princetown can be reached by bus from Plymouth, Exeter, Tavistock, Yelverton and Newton Abbot (summer service only). For further information on public transport telephone traveline on 0870 608 2 608.

Ends

For Further Information

Debbie Griffiths, Head of Archaeology and Historic Buildings

Orlando Rutter, Education Manager

Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority

Tel: (01626) 832093

Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are now available on the Authority's website

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Notes for Editors

Programme of events

Events start at 10am and last throughout the day unless indicated.

Transport and parking: Enjoy rides on vintage buses to and from the Dartmoor Prison Heritage Centre and to Merrivale. Car parking will be available at various sites in the town centre, look out for the Hands on Heritage parking signs. Disabled parking only at the Dartmoor Prison Heritage Centre.

Dig box: have a go at excavating and uncover artefacts from the past in a sand dig box. Numbers will be limited so booking (at the High Moorland Visitor Centre) will be essential on the day. For children aged 6 -12 years old only.

Plane tabling: try your hand at a simple but engaging surveying technique.

Finds surgery: bring your archaeological treasures for an expert to tell you more about them.

Stone walling: watch a demonstration of the traditional skill of building drystone walls.

Stone splitting: see how a piece of granite can be cut in two using three pieces of metal and a hammer.

Flint knapping: gain an insight into this ancient craft that allowed prehistoric man to turn rocks into razor sharp tools.

Moor Memories Oral History Presentation: listen to memories of Princetown’s past, illustrated with archive photographs, and contribute your own memories of the town.

Dartmoor Prison Heritage Centre: visit this ‘tardis’ of a building and learn more about Princetown’s famous (or is it infamous) Prison and its many and varied “visitors”. Come and see Prison ‘drug sniffer’ dogs in action (10.30am, both days), join a guided walk to the French and American Prisoner of War graves (2.30pm, both days) and, on Tuesday only, Trevor James will be signing copies of his book About Dartmoor Prison. Disabled parking only at the Heritage Centre – vintage buses from town centre.

Family Theatre Story walk: be prepared for surprises as you travel back in time to explore Princetown’s past and the role the prison played in housing conscientious objectors to the First World War. Numbers will be limited so booking will be essential on the day. Suitable for families with children (2 – 5pm, both days).

Children’s quizzes: be a detective, follow the clues and find out more about Princetown. The quizzes are self-guided, suitable for a variety of ages and some have prizes! Ask staff at the reception points for a quiz and have a go.

High Moorland Visitor Centre (HMVC): will be open offering a range of Dartmoor related displays including the Focus on Heritage exhibition and the archive BBC film A brief journey.

Wag from Widecombe: join local radio celebrity Tony Beard for a pint in the Plume of Feathers and hear a rich range of stories about life on Dartmoor. (6.30 – 7.30pm, Monday only).

Pottery demonstrations:

Watch how a pot is made with a chance to ‘throw’ a pot yourself.

Guided walks:

Monday 30

10:00: 2 hr Walk, Linear Walk to Merrivale (Princetown). A walk which includes sites dating from Prehistoric times right through to more modern quarrying. Suitable for adults and families with children 5+.

From 10:00: 2 hr Activity, Children’s Discovery Trail (Merrivale (four Winds)). Follow the map and clues to claim your prize. This event is running throughout the day and takes approximately 2 hours. It is suitable for families with children 7+. A vintage bus is available to take you to Merrivale and return you to Princetown.

10:30: 3.5 hr Walk, Hound of the Baskervilles (Princetown). Explore the surrounding area for the possible locations of places featured in the Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles. Suitable for adults and families with children 10+.

13:00: 1.5 hr Stroll, Town Trail (Princetown). Explore Princetown with a guide and discover more about its history including its links with the Napoleonic wars and Sherlock Holmes. Suitable for all ages.

14:00: 2 hr Walk, Linear Walk to Merrivale (Princetown). A walk which includes sites dating from Prehistoric times right through to more modern quarrying. Suitable for adults and families with children 5+.

15:30: 1.5 hr Stroll, Town Trail (Princetown). Explore Princetown with a guide and discover more about its history including its links with the Napoleonic wars and Sherlock Holmes. Suitable for all ages.

20:00: 2 hr Stroll, Megaliths by Moonlight (Merrivale (four Winds)). An evening walk around the prehistoric ritual monuments at Merrivale to unravel some of the myths and mysteries associated with these ancient stones. Please bring a torch.

Tuesday 31

Thanks to the generosity of H M Prison Dartmoor, entrance to the Dartmoor Prison Heritage Centre will be free of charge for the duration of the Hands on Heritage event.

The film A Brief Journey is screened by kind permission of the TSW Film Archive.

Dartmoor National Park Authority would also like to thank The Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter, and Plymouth Museum for their generosity in providing artefacts for display in the exhibition Focus on Heritage.

Exhibitions at the High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown, 2005/06

Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary School - An exhibition of work produced by pupils during school art week. 1 July – 17 July

Rangers - An exhibition showing the diverse nature of the work carried out by Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Ranger Service. 19 July – 7 September

Dartmoor in Contrast - Exhibition of textile art and photographs by Eileen and James Fraser. 9 September – 28 September

Devonport Leat - Photography and text, telling the story of this historic waterway, by Mike Sapiecha. 30 September – 19 October

Rooted in Place – photographic studies of Dartmoor’s Ancient Woodland - A celebration of Dartmoor’s ancient woodland by photographers Kim Aplin and Chris Smith. 21 October – 7 December

Wild Dartmoor - Exhibition of Dartmoor wildlife paintings by regional artists. 9 December – 18 Jan 06

Four Seasons - An exhibition by regional photographers. 20 January 06 – 5 March 06

National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,000 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.

Return to General Interest News Releases 2005 Archive

This page last updated 18 May 2005

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