Day for the Big Chief of the Clan

Zig Zag: From Dartmoor 2009

We ended our family get-together-cum-holiday in Dartmoor today in a rather fitting way on a rather fitting day. But some explanations first.

What 10 things do you associate with Dartmoor?

1. Ponies (in the road)
2. Walking up 'Tors' (the granite outcroppings on top of the moor)
3. The prison
4. Narrow roads/tractors
5. Family holidays
6. Windy days
7. errrm...
8. Heather??
9. Sheep?
10. ..... oh yeah - that thing with stamps

No.10 is properly called 'Letterboxing' which was a past-time my youngest brother, li'l sis, Mum & Dad picked-up visiting Dartmoor sometime after I foreswore family holiday's in my late teens - so something I had zero interest in back then. Later Mum and Dad continued to visit the area to walk the moors and Tors. So it was appropriate that last year, when we went to Dartmoor on 'goodbye' family holiday before we headed off to Finland that the clan left a box out on the moors in memory of our 'big chief'.

So this year, 18 months later, with my own significant large-numbered birthday celebration at hand, we have come back to Dartmoor to regroup, catch-up, celebrate (two birthdays other than mine), meet new additions (nephew and b.f.), walk (best one just Konna & I - 12km, lovely sunny day, Hameldown Tor, Grimspound bronze age settlement and around), eat (excellent and over-ample cooking all round), to dress in Victorian clothing (obviously), take lots of photos with my new 'toy' (and thanks to all my family for the present); and to check on Dad's letterbox.

So yesterday we recovered the box from Feather Tor, near Windy Cross and replaced it with a new one (with an appropriate cross stamp); then after browsing the visitor book last night we placed that box on Top Tor this morning, the day of his anniversary. It was nice to arrive home this afternoon to take some of his favourite flowers from the garden to the churchyard and tell him about the new boxes. I think he would have liked it.

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Clues to find the letterboxes: (remember to wear appropriate clothing, take an OS map and a compass when walking on the moors! A notebook, pen, stamp and inkpad, as well as a sharp pair of eyes, may also come in handy...)

• The new box in the old place:

1. From the car park on the B3357 head south to Windy Cross;
2. Cross the aqueduct and head up to Feather Tor;
3. Find the 'balancing rock' (see picture) and head east-ish towards a square looking rock;
4. The box is somewhere about halfway between...

• The Chief's old box in the new place:

1. From the small car park on the B3387 cross the road and head south to the small Tor;
2. Look for this small stack (see photo) you may want to scale it for the view west;
3. Head towards Widecombe-in-the-Moor's church tower - about 70 paces
4. The Chief now resides nearby...