A Walk Across Dartmoor – part 2

Posted on March 31, 2015 by johnshortlandwriter

A riverside path heading north from the village of Postbridge, famed for its ancient clapper bridge, leads into the heart of the moor. The bridge dates back at least to the fourteenth century and some of the slabs weigh over eight tons. The ‘modern’ bridge in the background was built as recently as 1780.

At the point where the river turns abruptly westwards are the remains of a beehive hut. These were used mostly for storage and, compared to many of Dartmoor’s archaeological features which date back millennia, are also of more recent origin and date from the 1500’s. They ‘disappear’ into the moorland features but are clearly visible once you know where to look.

Walking further onto the moor and leaving the river behind are the low grey shapes of the Grey Wethers double stone circle. Sitting close to Sittaford Tor, they are so named for their resemblance to sheep, ‘wether’ being the Old English name for a castrated male sheep. A tale, often repeated, is of a traveller stopping off at the remote Warren House Inn (where this walk started and will end) who complained of the poor quality sheep in the district. After a drink or two, he was led to the circles and in the mist mistook the stones for sheep and bought them, only to discover later that he had been fooled.

The two circles of Grey Wethers appear to the eye as one shaped as a figure of eight but an aerial view shows them to be quite separate to one another, sitting side by side. The circles are of similar size and lie on a north-south axis although whether this is of relevance is unknown. Numerous theories abound: perhaps the meeting place of two separate groups of people, or possibly they represent life and death. When excavations took place in 1909 a thick layer of ash was found to cover their centres but, again, the purpose of this is unknown.

From Grey Wethers the walk back to the Warren House Inn skirted the edge of Fernworthy Forest. Hidden behind the trees is Fernworthy reservoir, created by damming the South Teign River. When water levels are low the remains of an old farm can be seen, as can the remains of a small clapper bridge, drowned reminders of life on the moor in times past.

the remote Warren House Inn

2014 in Review: July – December

Posted on January 3, 2015 by johnshortlandwriter

Christmas has been and gone, even the New Year is a few days old. A time of old traditions and also some new ones – one of which is the review of the year past. The first six months can be found by clicking here; now for the next six.

This is the time of feasting, of plenty but in days gone by the essential time of year was harvest. Without a successful gathering of the corn life during winter would be tough for country folk. Harvest, which starts here in July, is still one of the busiest times of the farming year and despite modern machinery replacing many of the labouring jobs in many ways the task remains unchanged. As a young man I helped on what must have been one of the last farms to harvest in the ‘old way’. Working from dawn to dusk, it was hard but we didn’t stop until we knew “all was safely gathered in”…

I tend to avoid Exmoor, England’s smallest National Park, in August for it can become quite busy with visitors (I’m selfish and don’t want to share it with others). This year was different and I arrived in glorious sunshine, the perfect time to see the heather moorland which is in full bloom this month, a purple haze. To keep it looking as perfect as in the image below, the moors are set alight, an ancient practice known as ‘swaling’. The resultant new growth provides food for the sheep, the wild ponies and the other wild birds and animals that roam the moor…

Horses play an important part in my life and in September the Burghley Horse Trials take place. The trials feature three elements of horsemanship: dressage, show jumping and cross-country. It takes a brave horse and rider to tackle the latter element for the course is very testing and some of the jumps huge. Accidents do occur, fortunately rarely seriously but when there is a problem with perhaps a fence needing repair, part of my job is to prevent other competitors from running into them. Stop That Horse! lets on what happens ‘behind the scenes’…

The story of Lorna Doone and John Ridd, the man who saved her is a well-known and much loved tale of romance and treachery, set on 17th century Exmoor. Many of the places and people – but not all – that feature in the book do or did exist. In October I explored what is fact and what is myth? Click here to find out…

There can be fewer more bizarre buildings in the world than The Pineapple in Scotland. In November I was lucky enough to stay there and to explore the other fascinating and ruined buildings associated with it. I also found time to travel further afield and take in the spectacular scenery around Loch Lomond…

Rummaging in a cupboard at home in December I came across some old photographs that had been inherited many years earlier. Noticing a signature and doing some research turned into something far more exciting than I ever could have imagined – it turned out to be ‘a great game’…

2015 looks to be a good year with a number of exciting projects and travel ahead giving plentiful topics for blogging. May it be a good one for you too. Thank you for your support and may the New Year bring you all health and happiness.

A Great Game?

Posted on December 8, 2014 by johnshortlandwriter

A series of faded, sepia photographs have always been a mystery to me, just something else put into a cupboard and forgotten. Handed down through the generations they recently came to light once more and looked at with renewed interest. Who were these people and what connection might they have to my family? Two of the images were signed and with this name as my starting point the tale of their origin began to emerge. The story that is unfolding only deepens the mystery for they were part of the ‘Great Game’, a term I hadn’t come across before. Now, for me, it has two meanings: warmongering and my struggle to seek out the truth behind them.

Rudyard Kipling brought the ‘Great Game’ into everyday circles by using it in his novel Kim, published in 1901, although the term had been in use for many years before that. It described the cat and mouse rivalry between the British and Russian Empires that lasted throughout the nineteenth century.

Britain, alarmed at Russia’s expansion southwards, feared that Afghanistan would be used as the gateway to an invasion of India. To avoid this, troops were sent to install a puppet government in Kabul but within four years order was breaking down and the garrison was forced to retreat. Caught in a series of ambushes, Afghan warriors slaughtered all but one of the 4500 troops and 12000 followers. By 1878 the British invaded again following the Afghani’s refusal to allow a diplomatic mission to visit. A treaty was signed and the army withdrew leaving a small staff in Kabul: in the autumn of the following year they were killed leading to full-scale war – the Second Anglo-Afghan War. Travelling with the British army was a freelance photographer, John Burke, and it is his signature that appears on my photos.

History, as we all know, has a habit of repeating itself and sadly the rivalry between Russia and the West over Afghanistan has continued. Inspired by John Burke, the war photographer Simon Norfolk has carried out a new series of images. Intriguingly, he lists all of Burke’s plate numbers – the two of mine that are numbered are left blank so perhaps this is the first time they have been seen; rather an amazing thought.

All that is left now – and no mean feat – is to identify the places and the regiments and to find out where (and if) my family fit into all of this. I have been helped along the way by enthusiasts from a Facebook group. One of them, Arnie Manifold, has an ancestor that fought there and it is his medals that are shown in the image below. Wouldn’t it be extraordinary if we discovered his face on one of these old photos?

To view Simon Norfolk’s website and more information on John Burke, click here

To find out how a series of colourful postcards, brought back by my father from WWII, led to the discovery of a German fairy-tale castle, a love affair and an epic poem, click here.