Dartmoor's Daughter

10/08/2026

I love watching where the animals cross rivers and streams. Often they will find, or even create, the easiest path that offers a gentle gradient on either bank, and across the shallowest or firmest section of the riverbed.

Have you found moorland tracks, woodland paths, or river crossings by following in the hooves or paw prints of animals?🐾🐴🦌🐮

🏞️☀️🐴🐝🌊🌳🦋🌼🥾🌸🌊🌳🍃💚
Join me this Thursday 13th morning for a gentle stroll along the River Teign followed by a swim at the ’Tranquility Session’ in the community-run, open-air Chagford Pool. These are not usually crowded and involve relaxing, quiet and unlaned swimming.

Tickets & more info - https://www.dartmoorsdaughter.com/walks-on-dartmoor/gentle-stroll-and-swim-dartmoor

09/08/2026

What a wonderful way to celebrate a big birthday last month!

These lovely sisters had booked a self-catering house in north Devon, and then travelled long distances to meet up together, celebrate, and to share memorable experiences with their mum and all the family.

Thank you so much for asking me to guide a walk and river swim on her special day (followed by lunch at The Tors of course!) We also spotted Creek Dartmoor Trekking celebrating a birthday ride too🏞️☀️🌳🦋🐍🌸🌼🍃

☀️🦋☀️SPACES AVAILABLE🌼🌊💚
☀️☀️SUMMER WALKS & TALKS☀️☀️☀️
🌊13 August - Gentle Walk & Swim
🐉27 August - Dartmoor Myths & Legends
🐴3 September - Tor Royal Farm Walk & Ploughman’s Lunch
🧙‍♀️12 September - Dartmoor Witches & Wart Charmers
🧭26 September - Map & Compass Skills

Tickets & more info - www.dartmoorsdaughter.com

09/08/2026

We're four weeks into the first consultation for our Local Plan review - and there's still time to get involved 💚

The Local Plan is the framework for planning decisions: how nature and cultural heritage is protected, where new and affordable homes are provided, how businesses can thrive and safeguarding Dartmoor National Park in a changing climate.

Tell us:

✅ What planning policy should do to support viable farming while helping to deliver nature recovery and climate resilience.
✅ How well you think current housing policies meet the needs of Dartmoor's communities, and what changes, if any, are needed to support affordable, sustainable and locally needed homes.
✅ Thoughts on how best we keep the dialogue going with you and how we can improve the process.

Submit feedback online: https://bit.ly/3R4CbuD
Consultation closes Sunday 23 August 🗓️

08/08/2026

Enjoying the ponies from a distance & driving slowly across the beautiful Moor is crucial - both for your safety & for theirs.

This is important all year round but especially now as the stallions can be frisky, sparring with each other (& younger, ambitious colts) for the mares. And the mares can often be seen galloping away trying to protect their foals & themselves, as well as giving the stallions a kicking!

Yet again this morning I noticed several visitors much too close to the galloping ponies near car parks and roadsides. If you’ve ever been kicked by a pony or horse, you’ll know it hurts, a lot. In one of the videos you can hear the crack of the mare’s kick to the stallions head!

Please share this post, & help to educate & speak to visitors & anyone else you think might benefit to know that Dartmoor ponies are:
🐴semi-feral ie: owned & managed by Commoners (people with rights to graze their animals on the commons)
🐴roam widely within their lear/heft (territory) but drifted in to their home farms once a year in October to be checked over by a vet, contraception programmes, etc
🐴well adapted to life on the moor…& crucially don’t need petting or feeding with human food (too much sugar in their guts can make them ill & they can die)
🐴to be enjoyed from a safe distance - for you & for them. Interacting with the ponies increases the risk of them coming to carparks & roads & then getting hit by the all too frequent speeding drivers (there are quite a number hit every year which is devastating).

For the most part, visitors welcome learning about the ponies, & are often surprised that they are owned & managed. Often a well-meaning up close approach is simply a lack of understanding, & an opportunity to educate and share together in the beauty & admiration of these hardy herds.

(If you see injured ponies, or other livestock, you can contact the excellent Dartmoor Livestock Protection Officer with any identifying marks eg. ear tags, paint colours, brands; plus What3Words location. Save this number in your phone - 07873587561 www.dlps.org.uk)

And if you’d like to learn more about pony genetics, history, and behaviours join me for a walk🥾🏞️🌳🐴☀️www.dartmoorsdaughter.com

07/08/2026

Village life on Dartmoor - this is beautiful Widecombe-in-the-Moor where ponies were seeking shade under the churchyard trees.

One of the stories in my book ‘Dartmoor Myths & Legends - Exploring Origins & Inspirations’ is based here (and the book is sold at the beautiful Sexton's Gallery in the village here alongside works by incredible local artists and craftspeople).

My next Dartmoor Myths & Legends Talk will be at Two Bridges Hotel on Thursday 27th. Invited as part of Dartmoor Outdoor Festival there are still some tickets left, hope you’ll join us! www.dartmoorsdaughter.com/talks

06/08/2026

We were lucky enough to explore Tor Royal recently. It is a beautiful Duchy farm with a fascinating history and archaeology, beautiful waterways and recent peat bog rewetting project, plus links to the founding of ‘Prince’s Town’. And the ponies head statues at the entrance reveal its foundation lineage of designated rare breed Registered Dartmoor Ponies.

Join us on 3rd September morning for a guided walk to learn how the farm is managed to balance livestock, biodiversity and responsible public access. I will lead the walk, then we will be treated to a delicious homemade Ploughman’s lunch inside the beautiful Georgian house where you can see the domed ceiling with lantern, and an unusual plaster frieze depicting the Princetown Tramway, plus ask questions of tenant farmer Justine Colton.

Tickets & more info - www.dartmoorsdaughter.com (This walk is offered on behalf of Dartmoor Outdoor Festival which has a wonderful array of walks, talks, films and outdoors education throughout the week.)

Tor Royal B&B & Shepherd hut has beautiful accommodation options as well in case you fancy treating yourselves to a break.

05/08/2026

We spotted this beautiful heron fishing in the river today. It stayed there undisturbed by our presence for maybe 20 minutes or so - wonderful to see!

Join me next Thursday 13th for another ‘Gentle Stroll & Swim’. We will meander together through farm, field and woodland following the beautiful River Teign. There will be stops along the way to rest and appreciate the flora, fauna, history of the river, and a stunning granite sculpture by Peter Randall-Page. We will arrive back in time to join the ’Tranquility Session’ at the community-run, open-air Chagford Pool. These are not usually crowded and involve relaxing, quiet and unlaned swimming. The soft river water that fills the pool is UV treated and filtered with a minimal use of chlorine to keep it sparkling, healthy and safe. We will also have the benefit of the Tea Shed which serves refreshments including home-made cakes and snacks.

This experience is specifically designed for adults with chronic health conditions, and/or who appreciate gentle terrain, easy routes, and peacefulness.

Tickets - https://www.dartmoorsdaughter.com

(Please tag/share with anyone you think might appreciate and benefit from this experience)

05/08/2026

This weeks Wise Wednesday is about our famous four legged friends.

Please don’t touch or feed the ponies that roam the moor.

The food we can offer, isn’t part of their normal diet and so can make them ill.

We can carry nasty diseases that can pass onto the ponies making them seriously ill.

They are semi wild animals making their actions very unpredictable.

The act of feeding and petting encourages them to stick close to roads and car parks, this increases the chance of being hit by passing traffic.

04/08/2026

Himalayan balsam is invasive, fast-growing, and increasing along many of Dartmoor’s watercourses.

Ecologist Mervyn also considers it an issue for pollinators who, attracted to its intense sweetness, favour it over our own native wildflowers. Plus it can act as a potential transmitter of the Varroa Mite which is a devastating disease for honey bees colonies.

Ideally Himalayan balsam should be got rid of in May but…it’s not too late now! Our small team of volunteers spent the day pulling up the shallow roots, breaking it below the first tuber, and also just below the flowers as well - important so it doesn’t have a chance to reseed.

It would be great if DNPA had more support from volunteers for this activity next year. If you think you might have a few days to give back to your local rivers and leats, you can sign up here (plus be on a list for other interesting volunteer opportunities such as in the education, outreach, or archaeology teams) - https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/about-us/volunteering

Or why not join/start your own local group (ensuring appropriate permissions of course)?

Dartmoor National Park

03/08/2026