Dartmoor in the UK
Rating: 8,3/10 ( votes)  Dartmoor is one of the most famous national parks in England. Its territory has an area of about 650 km? and is mostly occupied by hills and marshes, which give these places a gloomy flavor and a special atmosphere that attracts many tourists here. Dartmoor is located northeast of Plymouth and is the southernmost park in the country. The climate of these places is humid and mild.
On the territory of Dartmoor, numerous archaeological excavations have been carried out, as a result of which scientists have found a large number of primitive sites, Neolithic settlements, sanctuaries and roads. Ancient granite bridges across water bodies are also characteristic of this area. Here, not far from the city of Torquay, the oldest traces of primitive man in all of Britain were discovered. An interesting find is also the ancient sacred stone circles in the fields of Dartmoor. Finds in the form of metal objects belong to the later Bronze Age, but they are much less common, since the high acidity of local soils preserves almost nothing. Even traces of the well-known people of Devon, who once lived here, have been found, as well as individual fortifications of the Iron Age.
When the Romans took over Britain, they built the city of Exeter on what is now Dartmoor. And in the VIII century, the County of Devon appears here. After the capture of England in 1066 by the Normans, feudal castles appeared in these places, from which cities such as Barnstaple, Totnes, Lydford, etc. grew. In the Middle Ages, until the 19th century, tin, silver, iron ore, copper were mined in Dartmoor, as well as fabrics. The ports of Plymouth, Dartmouth and others are engaged in export.
In addition to archaeologists, Dartmoor Park is often visited by biologists and botanists. They are attracted here by the richest deposits of peat moss, as well as unusual species of marsh grasses, heather and reeds. In addition, in the national park you can find quite rare representatives of the fauna, for example, the ancient semi-wild Dartmoor ponies, cows and white sheep.
The visiting card of Dartmoor Park can be considered its unique stone towers of natural origin, which are called torz and look very bizarre. The gloomy but majestic atmosphere of these places impressed and inspired many writers: Eden Philpotts, Blackmore, N. Carrington. But the most vivid description of the gloomy swamps of Dartmoor is presented in the famous novel by Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles. It was here that this work was written.We also recommend reading Cresswell Crags UK Topic: Dartmoor in the UK. |
