Walking by the river Dart yesterday, in summer afternoon sunshine, it was a pleasure to see a Gatekeeper butterfly sunning itself amongst the oak leaves, ling and bell heather. As Julia, our quiz setter, says it is difficult to believe that we have reached Week 19 and Covid-19 is still going strong! Here’s this weeks…

Here is our 18th quiz! You will find the answers to Week 17 below. What type of organism is a ringworm? What is affixed to a seat at Black Rock on Dartmoor? Which is the only common British Fern to have two types of frond – one carrying spores on the underside and narrower ones…

Following on from “Virtual Walks” to Golden Dagger Mine (March), Powdermills (April), Haytor (May) and Venford Reservoir (June), this is another DPA Short Walk cancelled due to the Coronavirus situation. It was scheduled for 25th July to Swelltor Quarry. There are actually six quarries to consider. excluding a couple of small, old quarries marked on…

We have reached Week 17 of our Dartmoor and beyond quiz as Dartmoor returns to something approaching normal. It is great to see so many people out enjoying the moor, showing just how much Dartmoor means to so many. As ever the answers to Week 16 will be found at the bottom of this post….

The abandoned medieval village at Houndtor is a fascinating place to explore on a summer day. Here are the questions for our 16th Dartmoor and beyond quiz and the answers to last weeks quiz are below. Week 16 At what point on Dartmoor is it possible to cross a river by stepping stones, a ford…

Full of bio-diversity, here is a glimpse of an important Dartmoor habitat: Rhos pasture. Lush and green at this time of year, Rhos pasture is home to many threatened species, including the Marsh fritillary butterfly. We are now at Week 15 of the quiz and we hope you are enjoying the weekly chance to pit…

From a few years ago, this picture was taken driving up the spectacular Challacombe valley. It will be looking a bit different today…if you can see it at all! Week 14 and our quiz continues, with the indefatigable Julia coming up with questions to test your knowledge of Dartmoor and beyond. Week 14 In which…

Following on from “Virtual Walks” to Golden Dagger Mine, Powdermills and Haytor, this is another DPA Short Walk cancelled due to the Coronavirus situation – this walk was scheduled for 25th June to Venford Reservoir. The photographs and satellite track (linked below) are from two reconnaissance walks on 15th and 23rd June. One good thing…

As the temperature climbs on Dartmoor we thought you would enjoy something interesting from the cooler spots on the moor. On the walls of old mine adits, in natural caves created by boulders and in a small old stone building, possibly a potato cave, on Babeny Farm grows one of Dartmoor’s  stranger plants. The luminous…

My goodness, we are into Week 12 of our quiz and a huge thank you to Julia, our quiz-setter!