38 THE HERALD MAGAZINE 31.10.09

TRAVELDARTMOOR

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle didn’t doDartmoor any favours.A sinister, fog-shrouded wasteland stalked by amurderer and a hound from hellawaitedSherlockHolmes in the spine-

chilling case ofTheHoundOfTheBaskervilles.He omitted to mention grasslands ablaze withgorse andheather, sun-dappled riversmeander-ing through woods and meadows, zany dancesat folk festivals and the heroic exploits of theRugglestone Inn tug o’war team.That’s not to say it was his fault. Times have

changed since Sir Arthur visited the moors,heard legends of diabolical black beasts withblood-red eyes preying on travellers after dark,and penned one of his classicmysteries.Dartmoor National Park, the largest and

wildest open country in southern England, isnow aplace forholidays rather thanhorror.Anystrange sounds heard after dark are more likelyto emanate from folk singers in pubs than super-natural creatures.Mywife and Ifind abunchof the former in the

OxenhamArms, a 12th-century coaching inn inthe village of South Zeal, during the DartmoorFolkFestival.This is an annual event thatdrawsthousands of enthusiasts for aweekend of tradi-tionalmusic anddancing, including a stepdancecompetition on a 15in square board in the backof a hay wagon.While professional musicians perform in a

nearby hall, patrons in the bar of TheOx amusethemselves and anyonewho cares to join inwithlusty renditions of sea shanties and workingmen’s songs from Cornwall to Northumbria.This is no drunken bawling, but harmoniousballads by men with fine voices singing for thelove of it.The tinmines that inspired someof thesongs are long gone from Dartmoor, and thehigh moors are the domain of untamed poniesborn free in the wind-blown cotton grass. Thevistas of wild, lonely land are immense, withskylinesdominated by tors – jumbles ofmassivestones squeezed up as molten granite throughtheearth’s crust 280millionyearsago.Like ruinsof ancient hilltop forts, they are the sentinels ofa bygone age.Among the most impressive is Hound Tor,

standing imperiously above tracesof amedievalsettlement.Over the years it has gained a repu-tation for ghostly sightings, andevenunder kindskies it has amystical presence. This was notedby SherlockHolmes, and later by BBC produc-ers who used it as a location for an episode ofDoctorWho.With artistic licence, Conan Doyle ignored

the fact the moors are surrounded by woodedvalleys,where hamletsof thatched cottagesnes-tle in farmland among dry stone walls andhedgerows.This ishobbit territory,where rosesrambleonhoney-coloured stonewalls, andcoun-try lanes are full of butterflies and songbirds.The patchwork of fields, meadows and wood-land is criss-crossed by amaze of narrow lanesbarelywide enough fora singlevehicle, boundedby high hedges.Driving is a slow affair, periodi-cally interrupted by cows, horses and tractors.

Approaching the market town of Moreton-hampstead – the longest one-word place nameinEngland –we find the road blocked by amaninacarandanotheronahorsewhohave stoppedfor a chat. In no hurry to go anywhere, we pullinto a passing place and wait, and when therider and motoristmove on, we receive cheerywaves of thanks.

Our base for the weekend is North Bovey, ahamlet of thatched houses around a villagegreen that boasts a 13th-century church, a puband a community hall. Regulars in the Ring ofBells pub include farriers, sheep shearers and amole catcher, drawn by a cheery ambience andthe local Otter real ale. This gives rise to carstickers saying: “I could murder an otter.”Thepub iswherewe collect keys toMoorland

View, a cottage a fewsteps away thathasmywifesighing with delight. It is the kind of luxurious

The slow-burningcharmof ruralDevonis impossible to ignore,writesGavinBell

Answering thecall of

hideawayBilboBagginsmighthave lived in if hehad won the lottery – oodles of character andcomfort in a mix of traditional West Countrystyle and mod cons, including awireless digitalsound system and a wondrous copper and tinbath that could accommodate a small family.In the morning the sunwarms a bench by the

front door, and in the late afternoon it shines ona seat by a lily pond in the garden. One day weare woken by a clip-clop of horses’ hooves, andfind a leaflet by the door announcing that ordersare being taken for this year’s lamb. For £46 wecan have half a lamb butchered, cut, packed andlabelled for easy freezing, or a half carcass ofmutton“finished slowlyonherb-richmeadows”.In ruralDevon,who needs supermarkets?We could have gone for ahike on themoors,or

even signedupwithDartmoorLlamaWalksandhad our picnic lunch transported by the pony-sized animals, butwe opt for amore sedate stroll

TheDartmoorlandscape, dottedwithgranite torsandwildponies, hasmore thanapassingresemblanceto theShire imaginedby JRRTolkien inLordOfTheRings

PHOTOGRAPH:ADAMBURTON/PHOTOLIBRARY.COM

IN TOMORROW’SSUNDAY HERALD

MAGAZINE

Getonyourbike for Scotswhisky tour

GETTINGTHEREANDWHERETOSTAYThesimplest routebycar is theM6 thenM5 toExeter,abouthalfanhour fromNorthBovey.Therearedaily trainservicesandflightswithFlybe (from£116pp

return) fromGlasgowtoExeter. FromSeptember toApril fournightsatMoorlandViewcosts from£540andsevennightsfrom£810.Visitwww.moorlandview.comorcall07786264865.

TRAVELNOTES

thewilds

along the banks of the River Teign at Chagford.This is your quintessential English babblingbrook, flowing past lush green meadows, oldwooden gates, stately oak trees and an old millby the stream.My wife sums up the scene: “It’slikewe’ve fallen into the pages of a storybook.”Babbling brook number two lies near our

doorstep.Down a lane from the cottage,we finda footpath by the River Bovey that leads viastepping stones and old stone bridges to BoveyCastle, erstwhile baronial pile of ViscountHambleden, heir to the WH Smith book andstationery empire. It is now a luxury hotel andsporting estate where, for a price, guests candisport themselves with archery, falconry,pheasant shooting and golf on a course ratedamong thefinest inEngland.GuestsofMoorlandViewhave free access to the swimming pool andspa, but we’re happy just rambling by the riverand throwing sticks in rock pools for wet dogs.

RoyalCaribbean(royalcaribbean.co.uk,08444932061)hasafive-nightMediterraneancruise from£424ppincludingmeals.DepartsMalagaonWednesday.

Lastminute.comhassevennightsinMadeira from£531pp.PriceincludesB&Batafive-starhotelandreturnflights fromGlasgowdepartingNovember16.

ArchersDirect(archersdirect.co.uk,08714238638)hasa15-day tourofSpain,PortugalandMorocco from£999pp.Priceincludes14nights’B&B,sevendinnersand returnflightsfromNewcastle,EdinburghorGlasgow, departingNovember22.

Flyglobespan(flyglobespan.com,08719871689)hassevennights inSharmelSheikhfrom£388pp.Priceincludesall-inclusiveaccommodationatafour-starhotelandreturnflights fromGlasgowdepartingNovember21.

FirstChoice (firstchoice.co.ukor08716649011)hassevennights inCyprusfrom£449pp.PriceincludesB&Batafive-starhotelandreturnflights fromGlasgowdepartingNovember11.

DirectHolidays(directholidays.co.uk,08716647764)hassevennights inTurkeyfrom£315pp.Priceincludesall-inclusiveaccommodationatafive-starhotelandreturnflights fromGlasgowdepartingNovember18.

Flexibletrips (flexibletrips.com,08701609192) has twonightsinAmsterdam from£171pp.PriceincludesB&Batafour-starhotelandreturnflights fromEdinburghdepartingJanuary25,2010.

LATEDEALS

31.10.09 THE HERALD MAGAZINE 39

There are bigger pools in the River Dart atNewbridge,whereAtlantic salmon rest en routeto spawning sites upstream. This is good newsforotters looking for takeawaysnacks. Insummerthe indigenous wildlife gives way to anotherform of wild life – people riding rubber ringsover shallowrapids to apopularpicnic spot, andleaping from rockyheights into adeeppoolwithsqueals of fright and delight.For some, the marquee at theManaton Show

and Fair, organised by the young farmers club,is an equally exciting sight. Wooden tables areladen with a cornucopia of prize runner beans,carrots,herbs,roses, treacle tarts,flowerarrange-ments,handmadetoysandamateurphotographs.Competition is intense for theSweetPeaCup, inmemory of Lt Col and Mrs Donald Smith, forthe best dahlias.We arrive too late for the Fun Dog Show,

including classes for the dog or bitchwith the

Barpatronsamuse themselveswith renditionsofseashantiesandworkingmen’s songs

NigelBruceandBasilRathbone in the1939filmTheHoundOfTheBaskervilles,basedonSirArthurConanDoyle’smurdermystery featuringadogsaid topreyupon travellers inDartmoorafterdark.Thearea isbetterknownnowasaholidaydestination

TRAVELDARTMOOR

31.10.09 THE HERALD MAGAZINE 41

THECYCLEbyFergalMacErlean

THERIVERTAY,CRAIGVINEANFORESTANDINVERWOODLocation:Dunkeld,PerthshireMap:OSLandranger52(GR003437)Distance:5miles (8km)Time:2.5hoursTerrain: footpaths, tracks

This lovelywalk takesyoualong thebanksofoneofScotland’sfinest riversandpastoneof itsmostpopularbeautyspots,beforeheadingthroughoneof itsoldestmanaged forests.Althoughyoucanstart

from theNTScarparkatTheHermitage, it’sbettertocontinuenorthup theA9and turnoff left immediatelybefore thebridgeover theRiverTay, thenpark in theNewtonCraigcarpark.Cross the roadand takeapathdownhillbeneath therailway thenunder theA9roadbridge,droppingdowntowards thebanksof theTay.Themixofwoodland issplendidandfurtheralongyoucome toabenchandagnarledoak tree tenaciouslyclinging to thebanks.This isNeilGow’sOak,or theFiddleTree,namedafter the

famous18th-centuryfiddlerwho reputedlycomposedmanyofhismuch lovedreelsandstrathspeyshere.Continuealong the river

towithinsightof thefive-archbridgebuiltbyThomasTelfordatDunkeld.Then,where theRiverBraanmeets theTay, followthebanksof theBraanbackunder theA9.Don’tcross

over the footbridge, take thepath leadingaway from theriver to reach Inver, thenattheendof the road take thepathbeside theA9andfollowthis to theNTScarparkatTheHermitage.Here, themainpath leads

under the railway toOssian’sHall,a lovelyspotat this timeofyear.Take themain trackleading rightwards, then

after50mgoleftonanothertrackandfollowthisas itswingsround into theCraigvineanForest.Continuestraightaheadonthemain track for1500m,then turnsharplyrightdownanother track for50mandlefton toagrassy tracksignposted InverWalk,which leads toapathdownhillback to thestart.

P

P

PP

River Tay

DUNKELD

CraigvineanForest

The Hermitage

A9(T)

InverWood

Start/Finish

THEWALKbyRabAnderson

STIRLINGTOLINLITHGOWMap:OSLandranger57,65,orSustransRound theForthcyclemap (£3.99 fromwww.sustransshop.co.uk)Distance:34miles (55km)Time:4hoursTerrain:mainlyflat, quietroadsandcyclepaths

Ifyou’remore familiarwithdrivingbetweenStirlingandLinlithgowyou’llbesurprised to learnhowgoodthecycle linksare.TheNationalCycleNetworkroute76,whichwill linkStAndrews in thenorth toBerwickUponTweedoncefinished, runsbetween thetwo townswithfewbusysectionsorascents.FromStirling train

station, turn rightandfirstright to reachasmallroundabout.Turn rightagain to join theSustrans

routewithviewsdown to theRiverForthwhich,despitebeingso far from thesea,is tidal here.Cycleon tojoinanold railway linewhichgiveseasycyclingpast the formerminingvillageofFallin.Furtheronthere’sacircuitous,butexcellent, routeonveryquiet roadsbyDunmoreandLethammosses.TheForthcomes into

viewagainasyouapproachGrangemouth,afterwhichthe route leads throughKinneilEstatebyBo’ness.KinneilHouse,said tobehauntedbyLadyAlicewholeapt toherdeathfromitstower, isnoplace to tarryasdusk falls tonight.FromBo’ness the route

climbssteeplyaway fromtheForth to join theUnionCanal.Followthecanalwest forLinlithgowand thetrainstation.

Bo’Ness

Linlithgow

Culross

Alloa

North Queensferry

Rosyth

Bannockburn

Stenhousemuir

Denny

Bonnybridge

Falkirk

Queensferry

R i v e r F o r t h

START

FINISH

most appealing eyes, and the dog or bitch thejudge would most like to take home. We’re intime, though, for thegrand spectacle of the show,the fiercely contested Inter Pub TugO’War.We cheer our local heroes and reigning cham-

pions, the North Bovey Ringers, who aresporting shirts warning: “Danger –Men on thePull.” Our brave lads brush aside a challengefroma“foreign” team– theRoyalOakfromSussex–butfinallygodown, literally, ina titanic strugglewith the Rugglestone Inn from over the hill. ARoyal Oak ladies team, given the advantage ofan extra body, beat their own men to take thirdplace.Amity between victors and vanquished isthen restored at length in the bar over foamingpints ofGunDog bitter.Sowhat happened to the diabolical hounds of

Dartmoor,with an insatiable hunger for humanflesh and souls? Go to Wistman’s Wood ifyou dare, we are told, for that is their lair. In1797, the Reverend J Swete wrote: “Silenceseemed to have taken up her abode in thiswood– and to a superstitious mind some impressionwould have occurred approaching to dread, orsacred horror…”From a distance, the wood of ancient oaks

above the West Dart River is a small patch ofgreen that doesn’t look much like a door to hell.Theonly vaguelydangerousbeastwe encounteron theway is abull, too intentonpropagating hisspecies topayus anyheed.On adark and stormyHalloweennightWistman’sWoodmight liveupto its reputation as a den of ghosts and devils,but on a bright day it is amagical place.A remnant of woodland dating from prehis-

toric times, it is a labyrinth of gnarled dwarfoaks writhing among a clutter of granite boul-ders, all of them swathed in luxuriant ferns,mosses and lichens. With sunlight filteringthrough the foliage, it is a place for poets ratherthan phantoms.It seems the Hound of the Baskervilles is

long gone. ■