Dartmoor National Park Authority

The Premier Archaeological Landscapes

The historic environment on Dartmoor is of great importance and value. Much of it is recognised to be of international significance and there are archaeological landscapes that rank amongst the finest in Europe. Fourteen such areas, described as Premier Archaeological Landscapes (PALs) have been identified. The main objective is to ensure that in these areas, when land management is under consideration, their historical significance is recognised and respected. The PALs arose as part of the process of creating a Vision for Dartmoor’s moorland in 2005.

Those agencies responsible for the Vision have agreed that within the PALs the management requirements of the historically important features, especially archaeology, will take precedence over that required for their ecology. In addition to protecting the historic environment it is also recognised that the PALs will need to be managed in a way to ensure they can be appreciated in their entirety. Future land management will need to be appropriate.

Interactive Mapping (GIS) System

The link below provides access to an interactive map which shows the distribution of PALs across Dartmoor.  You can zoom in on a specific area of interest using the tools provided or search by entering the nearest settlement name or a postcode.  (For additional help using the system please refer to our GIS help page.)

Page updated 1 September 2010