Hello there, I’m the author Michael Campling and this is the countryside where I live on the edge of Dartmoor, along with the ever-patient Mrs C.
And we live in the Teign Valley area, which you can see in the video above which was made very near our house. There’s also a photo of the village itself, nestling in amongst the trees.
I realised that Dartmoor has become an important part of my life, and it’s not just the beautiful scenery. The people, the diversity of the landscape, the myriad narrow and winding lanes, the captivating villages and the fascinating history are all part of the attraction.
So I created this publication, Postcards From the edge of Dartmoor, to share the experience of living and working in this mysterious and intriguing place.
This is the very first post, so it’s only a very brief introduction to me and my corner of Devon: a brief glimpse, if you will. There is so much more to come.
I’m going to try and capture the essence and spirit of Dartmoor, telling its stories from the past as well as sharing my own experiences. There are mysteries here and legends too, not surprising when you realise that Dartmoor has been inhabited for thousands of years.
There are signs of ancient settlements, stone circles and standing stones, and much later theres medieval village that was abandoned and left to fall into ruin.
There are ancient wooded valleys and Sites of Special Scientific Interest including areas of temperate rainforest which is a very rare type of habitat.
Of course, there’s folklore to look into as well as the various ghostly tales that seem so well suited to Dartmoor, and let’s not forget the stories told through song and dance and art.
Devon is more than Dartmoor. There are historic towns and villages and the coast has a special history of its own, from smugglers’ tunnels to fishing ports to naval bases.
There’s modern life to think about too. Village fetes to city festivals encompass a wide range of interests and activities. Traditional crafts survive well here, and there’s a busy art scene too. As if that wasn’t enough to be going on with, Devon has become a centre for good food and drink, so I can show you more than scones and jam. I’d like to share some recipes too.
I make a rather fine sourdough, if I say so myself, and my chutney is out of this world and my mincemeat is excellent.
There’s so much to get our teeth into. I’m looking forward to researching, exploring, sharing and generally getting enthusiastic about this very special place.
I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
