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Dartmoor is considered to be one of the most haunting areas of Britain. Located in South West England, it is the inspiration behind some of Britain's greatest literature as well as being home to some magical myths and legends.
Situated in Devon, Dartmoor is a beautiful area of moorland and is full of tors, bogs and rivers. There are a lot of ancient structures to be found in Dartmoor that can be traced back to the Bronze Age. Standing Stones are common and leave a haunting image on the land. This spooky atmosphere is only aided by the plethora of tales and stories that Dartmoor has spawned. These include tales of a headless horseman, hounds of hell and even pixies. More recently the story of the 'Hairy Hands' has emerged whereby travelers have said to been attacked by mysterious hands on the B3212. Then there is the Dartmoor Beast, this being a large cat that is said to roam the moorland.
A few landmarks of note are Jay's Grave, the last resting place of a suicide victim in the 18th century, Childe's Tomb and a granite stack formation called Bowerman's Nose. Arthur Conan Doyle's 'Hound of the Baskervilles' was inspired by Dartmoor and the area also helped to spur on creative literary minds such as Beatrice Chase, Agatha Christie and Laurie King.
Over half of the moorland is privately owned with a large percentage used by the military for training. Due to the Dartmoor Commons Act of 1985, despite a lot of the land being privately owned it remains open to public access.
There are very few urban settlements within Dartmoor. Dartmoor itself has a population of just over 3,000 whilst the other towns and villages within the park's boundaries have similar populations. These include Buckfastleigh, Chagford and Yelverton.
Dartmoor is a thrilling environment with such a mystic awe about it. It is full of history and fable. There are few places in the world that offer such an exhilarating atmosphere.
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