Festival to include walks of discovery on Dartmoor

Alan Endacott on an archaeological dig on Dartmoor

A new festival celebrating Dartmoor has been created to explore all aspects of the history and culture of the landscape, organisers say.

From a place of inspiration for artists, to the role it has played in archaeologists' understanding of our ancestors, the Dartmoor Tors Festival is due to hold talks and walks looking at all aspects of moorland life.

Writer Sophie Pierce and artist Alex Murdin have lived together on the moor for 25 years and said they wanted to find a way to help more people experience it for themselves.

The event, during the last bank holiday weekend in May, will take place at the Ashburton Arts Centre, with walks across Dartmoor.

Ms Pierce said: "Topics range from archaeology, to right to roam and how artists have perceived Dartmoor.

"It has so many layers of interest; history, folklore and culture.

"I think, perhaps, those of us who live locally are probably maybe a little bit guilty of not really appreciating it... We really want to spread the joy of this amazing place."

Sophie Pierce and Alex Murdin, organisers of the new Dartmoor Tors Festival

The seeds of this festival were planted during the Covid-19 pandemic, when Alex started drawing the tors he had known most of his life but could not visit during lockdown.

The pictures became the inspiration for a guide book about Dartmoor's granite tors called Rock Idols, written with his wife Sophie.

When the couple started walking to 28 of them to research the book, they rediscovered all sorts of facts and stories about landscape that they wanted to share with other people, and so the Dartmoor Tors Festival was born.

Alex said: "During lockdown, I was focused on the place I lived... but I couldn't get out on the moor... so I started drawing the tors and got a better understanding of what they meant to me and the place I live in."

The festival aims to get more people out on Dartmoor by guiding them on themed walks.

Archaeologist Alan Endacott is running a walk from Belstone called Dartmoor's Newest Prehistory.

It was an opportunity for members of the public to see the stone circles that he identified for the first time on a dig last year, he said.

The money from the ticket sales from his walk would go towards paying for the carbon dating of the charcoal that he discovered, helping further his research, he said.

Alan Endacott is leading the Dartmoor's Newest Prehistory walk at the festival

At there other end of the spectrum, storytellers and performers Sara Hurley and Lisa Schneidau will be running a walk near Hound Tor.

Their event, Myths of the Moor, plans to bring to life the route guided by Gillian Healey with stories such as Kitty Jay's grave.

Lisa said: "Before anything was written down, before anything was recorded, everyone was telling stories.

"That was the way to pass down wisdom or provide entertainment."

Sara Hurley and Lisa Schneidau act out one of their Dartmoor tales

The Beltane Boarder Morris and musician Seth Lakeman are also among the acts that will be performing from the 23-25 May.