What is a fact about Dartmoor?
65% of Dartmoor is made of granite – rock which was created around 295 million years ago. There are over 160 tors on Dartmoor. Tors are where the granite rock that is underneath Dartmoor shows through. There are three visitor centres at Dartmoor, one at Princetown, one at Haytor and one at Postbridge.
What is Dartmoor National Park known for?
Dartmoor National Park is a vast moorland in the county of Devon. Dartmoor ponies roam its craggy landscape, defined by forests, rivers, wetlands and granite tors created about 280 million years ago. Trails wind through valleys with Neolithic tombs, Bronze Age stone circles and abandoned medieval farmhouses.
How old is Dartmoor?
The granite that forms it was produced, in the depths of the earth, over 300 million years ago, and humankind has shaped it over the last 10,000 years. Together, they have made Dartmoor into a wonderful landscape, full of varied habitats, from wooded valleys and haymeadows to magnificent mires and the wild open moor.
Why is it called Dartmoor?
Dartmoor is so named from one of the main rivers, The River Dart, that rises from two major tributaries the East Dart (at Kit Rock, Whinney’s Down) and West Dart (at Lower White Tor) that conjoin at Dartmeet; a scenic beauty spot that’s pretty much geographically located in the most central point of the moor.
Is Dartmoor the biggest National Park?
The highest point is High Willhays, 621 m (2,037 ft) above sea level. The entire area is rich in antiquities and archaeology….
| Dartmoor | |
|---|---|
| Area | 954 km2 (368 sq mi) |
| Established | 1951 |
| Visitors | 10.98m |
| Governing body | Dartmoor National Park Authority |
Was Dartmoor covered in trees?
After the chaos of earthquakes and volcanoes, Dartmoor became almost entirely covered by trees following the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago. Wistmans Wood on Dartmoor is Devon’s oldest woodland.
How was Dartmoor made?
The processes resulting in the formation of the Dartmoor tors started about 280 million years ago as the granite forming Dartmoor cooled and solidified from molten rock at a temperature of 900 – 1000˚C. The minerals which make up granite crystallised as closely interlocking grains forming the hard rock.
Why visit Dartmoor National Park?
• Dartmoor National Park has 2,800 listed building, and 1,078 scheduled monuments on it’s beautiful landscape. • Dartmoor granite was formed 280 million years ago, thrusting upwards underneath the area we now know as Devon and Cornwall. • Most important area for Bronze Age archaeology in Western Europe!
How much do you know about Dartmoor?
That’s the equivalent of walking from Land’s End in Cornwall to Cumbria! • Dartmoor National Park has 2,800 listed building, and 1,078 scheduled monuments on it’s beautiful landscape. • Dartmoor granite was formed 280 million years ago, thrusting upwards underneath the area we now know as Devon and Cornwall.
What is the highest point on Dartmoor?
Some of the land, including Haytor, belongs to Dartmoor National Park Authority. The highest point on Dartmoor is High Willhays Tor. It’s 621 metres or 2,039 feet above sea level. The lowest point on Dartmoor is Doghole Bridge. It’s 30 metres or 98 feet above sea level.
How big is Dartmoor National Park?
Dartmoor National park is 368 square miles or 954 square kilometres. It’s about 20 miles from North to South and 20 miles from East to West. That means it’s roughly the same size as London, or about the same size as 20,000 football pitches.