Greatest Places on Earth! *Dartmoor*

Do you remember my Greatest Places on Earth posts??? Last year I used to do them every friday, it was a way for me to learn about new places but also share them with you all and not to mention my kids LOVED these posts.

Because I haven't done them in soooo long, I thought I would start up again, hey, at least I don't have to sit and wrack my brain for something to blog about.

Before I pack my bags to leave though, here are the other Greatest Places Posts if you're interested:

Switzerland
Scotland
Greek Islands
Port Elizabeth
Egypt
Machu Picchu

So where are we going today you wonder? Well how about Dartmoor in England!

I have always been fascinated with the beautiful English countryside and Dartmoor is one of those places I wish I could visit. So come with me, let's go on a trip.

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DARTMOOR

All images used in this post are NOT mine. Credit goes to the websites online.

Over the past 12,000 years man has hunted, farmed, mined, quarried and lived on and around Dartmoor. From the early Mesolithic hunter gatherers to the modern day 'moorman', humans have left their marks on its landscape. Dartmoor has been described as the 'last wilderness' and sometimes when walking deep in that 'wilderness' it is not hard to believe that you are the first to set foot on its virgin soil. Don't even go there, just stop and have a good look and it's guaranteed that within eyesight will be the mark of someone being there before you. It may be a solitary standing stone on the horizon, built by the 'Men of Bronze' or it may be a small heap of stones left there by the old tinners, but somewhere there will be something. Every tor, mire, stream, gully, wood or valley will have a name, granted many of them won't appear on the modern map and lots have been forgotten in the mists of time but they will all have a name showing evidence of the presence of man. Therefore if man has been associated with the area for so long it is inevitable that there has been a wealth of tradition, archaeology, history, folklore and legend left for us to explore today.

Credit: 1976design.com

Dartmoor is an area of moorland in the centre of the English county of Devon. Protected by National Park status, it covers 953 km² (368 square miles).

The granite upland dates from the Carboniferous period of geological history. The moorland is capped with many exposed granite hilltops (known as tors), providing habitats for Dartmoor wildlife. The highest point is High Willhays, 621 m above sea level. The entire area is rich in antiquities.

Dartmoor is managed by the National Park Authority whose 26 members are drawn from Devon County Council, local District Councils and Government.

Parts of Dartmoor have been used as a military firing range for over 200 years. The public enjoy extensive access rights to the rest of Dartmoor, and it is a popular tourist destination.

Great Links Tor

Dartmoor is known for its tors — large hills, topped with outcrops of bedrock, which in granite country such as this are usually rounded boulder-like formations. There are over 160 tors on Dartmoor. They are the focus of an annual event known as the Ten Tors Challenge, when over a thousand people, aged between 14 and 21, walk for distances of 35, 45 or 55 miles over 10 tors on many differing routes. While many of the hills of Dartmoor have the word "Tor" in them quite a number do not, however this does not appear to relate to whether there is an outcrop of rock on their summit.

The highest points on Dartmoor are High Willhays and Yes Tor on the northern moor. Eylesbarrow and Ryder's Hill are the highest points on the southern moor. Probably the best known tor on Dartmoor is Haytor .

High Willhays


Yes Tor


Eylesbarrow


Ryder's Hill


Haytor

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THE VIDEOS

Wistman's Wood on Dartmoor



Dartmoor An Inspirational Place



Dartmoor Ponies

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THE RECIPES

Bubble and Squeak

Credit: everythingisfood.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

25g/1oz Butter

1 Onion, chopped

450g/1lb Cooked Potatoes, mashed

225g/8oz Cooked Cabbage, chopped

4-6 sliced cooked Beef chopped

Salt and Pepper



Instructions


1. Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the onion and sauté gently for 5-6 minutes until soft, stirring from time to time.

2. Raise the heat to medium hot, add the potatoes, cabbage, beef, salt and pepper and continue to fry for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, until browned and crispy. The crispy bits should be mixed throughout. Serve immediately.

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Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients:

6 slices well buttered Bread

50g/2oz Sultanas

4 Eggs

25g/1oz Sugar

600ml/20fl.oz. Milk

A little extra Sugar



Instructions


1. Preheat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3. Grease a 7.5cm/3 inch deep ovenproof dish.

2. Remove the crusts from the buttered bread and cut into quarters (triangles or squares). Reserve 4 quarters for the top and arrange the rest in layers in the dish, sprinkling the sultanas between each layer. Top with the reserved quarters.

3. In a saucepan, heat the milk to hot but not boiling. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar then add the hot milk, stirring well.

4. Slowly strain over the bread and fruit, being careful not to dislodge the top layer of bread. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with a little sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is browned and crispy.

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