Join us for a FREE family-friendly celebration of Dartmoor’s wildlife and heritage on Saturday 6 July, featuring food, live music and hands-on activities. The Discover Dartmoor Heritage and Wildlife Festival is set to take place in Manaton Church Field from 10.30am - 4.00pm.
Mediaeval re-enactments and musicians will give visitors a glimpse into the past and how human activity has shaped today’s moor, its plants and creatures.
History buffs can enjoy films and talks that further illustrate the Dartmoor story, and Manaton Church will be open for a guided tour.
Hands-on activities will include ore-crushing to discover tin, archaeological surveying and unearthing buried historic artefacts.
Stalls, a barbecue and refreshments in the village hall will add to the atmosphere. The event is being staged to celebrate five years of the Moor than meets the eye Landscape Partnership project (MTMTE) which has recruited hundreds of volunteers to help conserve moorland culture and wildlife. MTMTE Community Officer Andy Bailey said: ‘It has been an amazing five years with hundreds of people contributing their time to be part of the 4,000-year-old story which has seen Dartmoor’s natural landscape shaped by human hands into the National Park we love today.
‘The whole adventure was only made possible thanks to National Lottery funding so we’re very grateful to everyone who’s ever bought a ticket, thank you. ‘Dartmoor is such a special place, and it’s been our aim to explain how human activity has brought about the landscape, flora and fauna we’re familiar with now. ‘The evidence of the past is all around us, whether that’s farming, mining or habitation. It’s just that sometimes the clues become lost and we have to learn how to interpret what’s hidden in plain sight. ‘It’s so important that we understand the story, as without that knowledge we’re poorly equipped to properly conserve our moorland heritage and wildlife. ‘The Discover Dartmoor day on the 6 July will not only celebrate the efforts of everyone who’s been involved with the Moor than meets the eye scheme but provide families and more serious history fans with a fun and informative insight into a moor they might not know quite as well as they think. ‘For anyone interested in Dartmoor, this is the event to come to.’ Parking is free, or you can catch the Haytor Hoppa bus from Newton Abbot to Manaton. See Haytor Hoppa timetables and prices.
Notes: The Moor than meets the eye Landscape Partnership Scheme has been helping people discover the Dartmoor Story; a landscape forged by nature and shaped by people from prehistoric times to today. It has brought people together to explore Dartmoor’s past, conserve its wildlife and archaeology, improve understanding of the landscape and share and develop the skills to look after it for generations to come.
The Moor than meets the eye Landscape Partnership Scheme has received £1.9million funding from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and is now in its fifth and final year. The organisations that form the partnership are: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Dartmoor Farmers’ Association, Dartmoor Preservation Association, Dartmoor Commoners’ Council, Devon County Council, Duchy of Cornwall, Historic England, Forestry Commission, Natural England, South West Lakes Trust, RSPB, Visit Dartmoor and the Woodland Trust.
The Moor than meets the eye Landscape Partnership Scheme covers 280 sq. km of central and south-east Dartmoor and is one of the UK’s finest examples of a palimpsest – a landscape on which layer upon layer of human activity has left a mark. Its unique character has been shaped over millennia ensuring that people and place are intrinsically linked.
More information about the general scheme and its projects is available from Andy Bailey, Community officer for Moor than meets the eye.
Tel: 01822 890903 Email: andy@moorthanmeetstheeye.org Visit the website www.moorthanmeetstheeye.org
Donate for Dartmoor supports a variety of projects across Dartmoor. Donations of time and money are essential for us to be able to look after the heritage and wildlife of Dartmoor and to make it a place for everyone to enjoy today, tomorrow and for the future.
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