Given national Park status in 1951, Dartmoor is sat in the south of county Devon, southwest England, and covers an area of 365 square miles. Almost half of the park is swampland, a nirvana for wildlife and those wishing to escape the pains of town life.

Dartmoor Forest, owned by the Duchy of Cornwall since 1307, is a former royal hunting ground and makes up the overwhelming majority of the area. The grass and heather moors are littered with hefty granite boulders scattered among the rolling hills. Wild ponies graze among the barren hills ; in spite of running wild, all have human owners and are gathered annually each autumn.

approximately ten percent of the moor is woodland, much of it running along the tranquil stream valleys. Stone circles and funeral chambers are testament to Dartmoor’s historic and enigmatic past. Indeed, Dartmoor is famous not only for its beautiful landscapes. It was in the tiny town of Grimspound that Sherlock Holmes found himself digging into the hound of the Baskervilles.

Dartmoor was one of Europe’s biggest tin mining areas back in the 12th century. The stone built homes of the miners can still be found along lots of the regions streams and streams.

monk’s Way runs across the southern part of the moor, racing across wild country and moorland bogs. The area is thought to be named after the abbots who are thought to have used this path when travelling between Buckland Abbey and Buckfast Abbey. Man’s presence over the ages is clear in this barren land. Hut circles dating back to the Bronze and Iron ages remain today.

South of monks Way sits Harford Moor. The Middle Ages drew tin miners from far and wide looking for riches under the surface. Today visitors are drawn by the vast badlands and wildlife. A medieval cross adorns Harford Church, one of many in the area which once served as signposts for those travelling across the moors.

Becky Falls woodland Park first opened to the public in 1903. Some of the most pleasurable walks in Britain’s southwest can be had here amongst the delightful waterfalls and huge granite.

To the west is Upper Plym Valley and a beautiful array of plants and wildlife. The tracks in these parts are somewhat simpler to navigate than many others in the moors and provide much of interest on the way. The impressive moorland landscape is interspersed with abandoned tin mines dating back over a century and various prehistoric relics including stone and hut circles.

Where do you want to travel in the world? For an idea of where to go on your next vacation, visit famouswonders.com. While you are on the site, also take a look at The Buckingham Palace.