Dartmoor Preservation Association

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Dartmoor Preservation Association

Official 'Friends of Dartmoor', keeping Dartmoor wild and free since 1883 Our members are active in helping to preserve artefacts and to improve habitats.

The DPA was founded in 1883 amidst concerns that land management of Dartmoor by the Duchy of Cornwall was threatening to extinguish the ancient rights of commoners on the moor. Interest in Dartmoor’s landscape, archaeology and natural history had been rapidly increasing through the latter half of the nineteenth century and the formation of a watchdog organisation seemed to be a prudent step to tak

e. Although the way that Dartmoor is managed has changed beyond recognition since those early days, the DPA still maintains a strong interest in archaeology and the ecology of the moor. We also maintain a watchful eye on proposed development in the area. The creation of Dartmoor National Park in 1951 provided a strong assurance of the degree of protection to be afforded to this area. These days, the DPA maintains a strong and close relationship with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and seeks to act in the capacity of “critical friend”. Through our relationships with DNPA and many other local organisations we influence the formulation of policy to manage Dartmoor and participate in actions to conserve its special qualities for posterity. The DPA became a registered charity in 1963.

08/09/2026

We enjoyed catching up with lots of familiar faces at Widecombe Fair today, and were even treated to bright sun after the morning rain!

Our friends Dartmoor National Park were there with their engagement stand and we also chatted with Moor Trees, who told us about their recent successful seed gathering walks.

On the village green we saw Field System, Ethan Pennell and the Dartmoor Herbalist and were filled in about the progress of their storytelling project about Pine Martens. Jenny Carden, the Dartmoor Herbalist, is leading a fungi walk for us on October, so we were pleased to tell her that it had sold out!

We also bumped into Banned from the Moor, who are performing at our upcoming Summer Gathering on the 19th of September.

It was great to see the show so well attended and there was a real feeling of community coming together. We love to see our members and allies in person and have the chance to hear what's on their mind about Dartmoor. We even bumped into Uncle Tom Cobley himself!

06/09/2026

We've spent the weekend at River Dart Country Park offering a pre launch taster of activities from our Dartmoor Challenge Badge!

Young people from across the county have had a go at making animal footprints, building a Bronze Age roundhouse, identifying leaves, creating a myth inspired comic strip and planning the contents of their own adventure backpack.

All these activities, plus 31 more, will be included in the free activity and resource packs, which will be publicly launched at the end of September. The Dartmoor Challenge Badge is a collaborative project from the DPA, Dartmoor National Park and National Trust Dartmoor which aims to help everyone connect with Dartmoor, by offering exciting and inspiring structured activities.

We can't wait to award our very first badges, and see them worn with pride!

03/09/2026

Our Summer Gathering on Saturday the 19th of September is a chance to socialise, celebrate and hear from fascinating speakers, including Ecologist Albert Knott, Dr Helen Wilson and Daniel Brown from the Two Moors Pine Marten project.

But no celebration would be complete without some local music, and we're delighted that Banned from the Moor will be entertaining us in the afternoon, after we've enjoyed a light buffet meal.

From the heart of Dartmoor, Banned from the Moor brings an energetic mix of folk, rock, and dance music that’s guaranteed to get feet moving and spirits lifted! Expect a vibrant set of jigs, reels, and songs—from traditional English, Irish, Scottish, and European tunes to contemporary twists and original creations.

All are welcome to join us: members, friends, allies and anyone who feels passionate about Dartmoor. Our Summer Gathering is a chance to meet like minded people and learn about what the DPA do to help care for this special landscape.

Follow the link in the comments for tickets and use the code DPASUPPORTER26 to get 20% off.

01/09/2026

The Dartmoor Outdoor Festival is underway and there are walks, adventures and experiences happening all over Dartmoor! We led a wonderful Awe walk today from Widecombe-in-the-Moor and we're looking forward to leading a storywalk from Hound Tor tomorrow.

If you haven't booked on for any events as part of the festival yet, there's still time, and you can view the full programme online: https://www.dartmooroutdoorfestival.co.uk/programme.html

28/08/2026

We had a wonderful time at Meldon Wildlife Festival last week, launching some taster activities from our new Dartmoor Challenge Badge in collaboration with National Trust Dartmoor and Dartmoor National Park. Plus, storytelling from our Comms Officer Helen was very popular!

26/08/2026

Thanks to Julian Baird - Dartmoor Photographer for a fantastic morning at Bonehill Rocks, Chinkwell Tor and Honeybag Tor, capturing the beauty of Dartmoor's heather. We had a relaxed stroll with plenty of time for photographs and everyone who joined us benefitted from useful tips about composition, lighting and colour.

The glorious heather and gorse didn't disappoint and we had the perfect mix of sun and cloud. Julian is running two more photography walks for us on 7th Oct and 11th Nov and these will focus on autumnal Dartmoor and Great Staple Tor. Both walks are free, please get in touch if you'd like to join us!

25/08/2026

There's just over 2 weeks to go until our Summer Gathering in Princetown! We are looking forward to catching up with friends and allies on the 19th of September and we have an exciting lineup of speakers, including Daniel Brown from the Two Moors Pine Marten Project, Dr Helen Wilson and ecologist Albert Knott.

Albert will present his talk, 'Boosting Wildlife on Dartmoor Preservation Association's Land Holdings'. It will give an overview of the special habitats and species that can be found on the DPA's four land holdings and outline our future work to boost their wildlife potential.

Albert has been employed by Natural England and its predecessors since 1987 and involved in National Nature Reserve (NNR) management. With 38 years of National Nature Reserve management, he has experience of land management across a wide range of habitats, including: woodlands, heathland/moorland, meadows, chalk grasslands, grazing marshes and soft sea cliffs. His expertise in managing a variety of habitats is a fantastic asset for us, and we are delighted to have him on the team as our Ecological Consultant.

Follow the link in the comments for tickets and use the code DPASUPPORTER26 to get 20% off.

24/08/2026

Our friends at the Dartmoor Hill Farm Project extend an invite to help shape an innovative piece of work which will go on to inform how Dartmoor's rich cultural heritage may be valued.

Through the Walkham Valley landscape Recovery project the team have been developing new ‘pastoral values’ that could be built into the payment model for the participants. This focusses on both cultural and intangible cultural heritage and is trying to understand what the public sees and values in the west Dartmoor landscape with wider application for the National Park as a whole.

In order to provide Defra with sufficient evidence they are rolling out a questionnaire which will be completed in the Walkham valley through 1:1 interview and also on-line. Once they have collated the responses the team will update on its relationship to the schemes design. Please do take the time to make your voice heard and share what you value about Dartmoor's cultural heritage by following the link in the comments.

📷 Dartmoor Hill Farm Project

20/08/2026

The (much needed) rain showers have passed and we're enjoying a very busy Chagford Show. We've caught up with our friends Moor Trees and Dartmoor National Park and seen some of our members out and about in their DPA t-shirts.

Come along and see us in row 3, stand 39 and chat to us about anything on your mind about Dartmoor.

19/08/2026

Our Summer Gathering is coming up on Saturday the 19th of September, and everyone is warmly invited to join us for an afternoon of celebration and socialising with talks, food and music from Banned from the Moor.

We have a brilliant lineup of speakers, including Daniel Brown from the Two Moors Pine Marten Project. We're really looking forward to getting an update on how these animals have settled back into the ecosystem over the last two years.

The talk will cover basic pine marten ecology and introduce tracks and signs that people can look for, and it will present results from 2 years of radio tracking and wildlife camera work on-and-around Dartmoor and South Devon. There will be lots of interesting footage of pine marten behaviour from wildlife cameras, and Daniel will also talk about the work he has been doing to support local foresters, landowners and communities.

After training to become a Ranger at Yarner Woods Daniel Brown is now the Field Officer for Dartmoor on the Two Moors Pine Marten Project and has supported the translocation process, subsequent monitoring work and landowner engagement. Daniel previously worked as the Beaver Field Officer in East Devon and was also part of DWT’s Nature Reserves team.

Book your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dpa-summer-gathering-tickets-1989665109904

Address

Old Duchy Hotel
Princetown
PL206QF

Website

https://linktr.ee/dartmoordpa

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