Dartmoor National Park’s visitor centres host festive events
With the Christmas adverts already on the television, now’s the perfect time for you to visit Dartmoor National Park’s visitor centres to buy loved ones locally made and inspired gifts.
Dartmoor National Park’s visitor centres at Haytor and Princetown are hosting special festive events throughout December.
Dartmoor wool, natural shampoo bars and chilli chocolate are among the products on sale in Dartmoor National Park’s ‘Dartmoor at Christmas’ shopping exhibition at Princetown Visitor Centre.
The exhibition runs from 22 November – 5 January and showcases local producers, suppliers and businesses who live and work in its landscape or are inspired by it. There’ll also be a Christmas wishing tree for people to write their hopes for themselves and Dartmoor in 2020.
Haytor Visitor Centre will host a special Christmas shopping day on Friday 6 December from 10am – 3pm with mulled cider, mince pies and a free gift wrapping service.
Admission to both centres is free.
Helen Ellis, Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Retail Officer Helen Ellis said:
“This is a great opportunity for people to buy friends and family something special and support local organisations at the same time. Dartmoor is home to a wealth of artistic talent and local producers, inspired by the environment and landscape. We’ve been working to develop the Dartmoor Range and are pleased to be able to showcase these ‘home grown’ products.”
The visitor centres are brimming with lots of original gifts whatever the time of year. Local products include ceramics, handmade soap and toiletries, reclaimed Dartmoor wood candle holders, chutneys, curds and jellies.
As well as being staffed by friendly, knowledgeable information advisers, the centres stock books and walking guides for adults, nature inspired activity books for children and soft toys for tots and toddlers.
Dartmoor National Park is the largest and highest upland in southern Britain. It is of international importance for its blanket bogs, upland heaths, upland oak woods and cave systems, and of national importance for its valley mires, Rhôs pasture and grass moor.
Because of the climate and diversity of habitats there is a great diversity of species. Dartmoor is an important reserve for those species that can withstand harsher conditions including some very rare plants and animals. Dartmoor is particularly noted for rare lichens, butterflies and other insects, some of which are so rare they can only be found on Dartmoor.
Learn more by visiting the centres. Full details are at www.dartmoor.gov.uk