New report: Options for modernising National Park Authority governance We’ve launched our new report ‘Leading National Parks into the Future: Modernising National Park Authority Governance’.

The Dartmoor Preservation Association welcomes the launch of the new report from @campaign4parks.bsky.social - Leading National Parks into the Future: Modernising National Park Authority Governance.

www.cnp.org.uk/news/new-rep...

#Dartmoor #nationalpark #report

Hannah Durdin of Moorland Guides shares one of her favourite family friendly walks, from Shipley Bridge to Avon Dam.

This walk offers an easy route to follow, some gorgeous paddling spots & the best of #Dartmoor with temperate rainforest & wide open moor.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/five-accessi...

Samantha's fundraiser for Dartmoor Preservation Association Moor boots Help Samantha Petherick raise money to support Dartmoor Preservation Association

Huge thanks to Samantha Pertherick, who has just completed a Yorkshire 2 Peaks challenge to raise money for our Moor Boots access grant scheme.

She hiked 17+ miles and climbed 3,767ft, all with Storm Dave fast approaching. It's not too late to donate!

www.justgiving.com/page/samanth...

#moorboots

Dartmoor Portrait Photography - St Gudula Shoot at Swincombe | Glavind Strachan Photography — Glavind Strachan Photography Dartmoor photographer Paul Harris captures Helen Bruce as St Gudula for the Dartmoor Tors Festival - a portrait shoot in the Swincombe Valley

An interesting behind the scenes perspective from Paul Harris of Glavind Strachan Photography, who photographed our depiction of St Gudula for the Dartmoor Tors Festival. He delves into the complex and contrasting history of this local (or not so local) saint.

glavindstrachan.com/blog/st-gudu...

The walk from Postbridge is certainly accessible by public transport, here's some info to help plan your day: www.dartmoorwalks.org.uk/resource/tra...

Ancient Holy Well Forms Centrepiece for New Dartmoor Community Pageant - Dartmoor Preservation Association St Gudula’s Well in Ashburton, an ancient holy well, will be the focus of a new community ritual honouring water as the source of all life, and celebrating the start of summer. ‘Gudula’s Gathering’ ha...

By reconnecting with local customs, by invoking #Dartmoor rivers as beings with agency and presence, the Dartmoor Tors Festival invites both locals and visitors to enter a deeper relationship with the national park.

#holywell #welldressing #mayday

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/ancient-holy...

With the long weekend ahead, it's the perfect time to plan a walk on #Dartmoor. We've teamed up with Dartmoor Partner and Moorland Guides to share 5 easy, #family friendly and accessible #walks that are sure to please all ages.

#familywalks #easywalks #shortwalk

visitdartmoor.co.uk/five-easy-an...

#Dartmoor #Tinworking Research Group extend an invite to their Parish Day on Sat 25th April. There will be #lectures in the morning, coffee, #exhibitions, bookstall, and an afternoon #walk to explore New Vitifer Consols and Bushdown Mine, which are in the vicinity of the Warren House Inn.

Ugfest Raises Funds for Moor Boots - Dartmoor Preservation Association Ugfest, an annual music festival in Ugborough, has raised an astounding £8000 for local charities with its 2025 event. From this money, £500 has generously been donated to the Dartmoor Preservation As...

The DPA would like to extend huge thanks to all the volunteers, musicians and guests that make #Ugfest happen and we are very grateful to have been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from the 2025 #festival.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/ugfest-raise...

#moorboots #accessforall

Gudula’s Gathering | New Dartmoor Community Pageant focuses on ancient holy well - the PRSD New community ritual for Dartmoor reconnects with local customs and draws people together at St Gudula’s Well

We're supporting the #Dartmoor Tors #Festival as lead partner for 2026, which includes playing a part in the closing parade. This celebrates community, culture and life giving water, symbolized by the dressing of St. Gudula's healing well in #Ashburton.

www.theprsd.co.uk/2026/04/01/g...

Inside Britain's National Parks - Series 1: 3. Dartmoor Steeped in myth and untamed beauty, Dartmoor National Park's vast moorlands provide a a sanctuary for rare plant and animal species as well as a treasure trove for archaeologists.

Episode 3 in the new 'Inside Britain's National Parks' series focuses on Dartmoor, shining a spotlight on the numerous ways that people connect with the landscape and work to protect it. Look out for an appearance from our Comms Officer, Helen.

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

#Dartmoor #conservation

13 walkers joined our Chairman John Howell for a 4.5 mile short walk, in association with the Ramblers, using the Dartmoor Way and exploring the mining remains in the Walkham Valley.

Find more upcoming free walks here: dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/walks-on-dar...

#shortwalks #Dartmoor #guidedwalks

We're delighted to be working with Moorland Guides to support a not for profit #retreat in a beautiful setting for those who are involved in #ecological #activism, either directly or through their creative work.

www.moorlandguides.co.uk/wild-words-d...

#wildwords #creativechangemakers #Dartmoor

Uncovering Bronze Age Archaeology at Hound Tor - Dartmoor Preservation Association Previous volunteer workdays on the Hound Tor 2 site have focused on strimming bracken and brambles, plus cutting encroaching gorse from the Bronze Age and Medieval archaeology. Our most recent workday...

Our dedicated #Volunteers have been working to clear invasive bracken from #archeological features at the Hound Tor 2 site for 4 years now, meaning that their efforts are beginning to have an impact on regrowth rates.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/uncovering-b...

#Dartmoor #HoundTor #MedievalVillage

Huge Length of Historic Leat Cleared - Dartmoor Preservation Association Last week, DPA Conservation Volunteers were joined by volunteers from Babcock International for the final leat workday of the spring. Workdays at Drake's Leat will now stop during the breeding season ...

Last week, DPA #Conservation #Volunteers were joined by volunteers from Babcock International for the final leat workday of the spring. A huge amount was achieved, with nearly 400m of Drake's Leat being cleared of bramble, bracken and invasive gorse.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/huge-length-...

Guest Blog: Trees of Pudsham - Dartmoor Preservation Association Blackthorn and Hedgecraft - an ancient relationship between man and nature ‘A well-laid and tended blackthorn hedge is all but impenetrable and will last for centuries…Anglo –Saxon charters mention bl...

DPA #Conservation #Volunteer, and writer, Roz Brady shares her experience of caring for the land at Pudsham Meadows in her new guest blog.

During February, volunteers have been clearing invasive species and #hedgelaying to improve habitat for wildlife.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/guest-blog-t...

Do you have an idea for a project which will promote inclusive #access on #Dartmoor?

As a result of the successful legal battle for the right to backpack camp on Dartmoor the DPA is setting up a Public Access Fund to return money to as many grass-roots initiatives as possible. Apply online now.

West Devon Borough Council is creating a new Cultural Framework & Strategy to guide how #culture, creativity & #heritage are supported.

#Dartmoor sits in this Borough & is a nationally important hub of culture and #community traditions.

Have your say in the survey: forms.office.com/pages/respon...

For 2026, we're sponsoring the Ellwood Classic #Drystone #Walling Competition, which will be held near Princetown.

It's fantastic to bring this to #Dartmoor & acknowledge the importance of this traditional rural skill, which has contributed so much to the iconic appearance of the local landscape.

#Sharpitor is a very special spot on #Dartmoor, with fascinating #archaeology, rare lichens and unique #geology. It is accessible today due to the ongoing work of the DPA, and our refreshed Land Management plan seeks to preserve it for the future.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/incredible-l...

CPA Events Calendar - Community Planning Alliance On Saturday April 18th, just ahead of the local elections in May, groups and communities across the UK will be taking part in a UK-wide Day of Action for

The Community Planning Alliance are holding a National Day of Action on 18th of April, before local elections, to demonstrate, visibly & collectively, that people everywhere care deeply about the natural world and want to see it protected & restored.

communityplanningalliance.org/events-calen...

Clearing the Sayer-Collins Path - Dartmoor Preservation Association As part of our weekend volunteer workday programme, DPA Conservation Volunteers returned to High House Waste on Sunday the 1st of March. The weather was overcast, but this didn't dampen the enthusiasm...

DPA #Conservation #Volunteers returned to High House Waste, working to clear invasive gorse from the mire & path close to the Oliver Sayer gate. Oliver was one of the twin sons of Lady Sylvia Sayer, & he shared his mother’s passion for defending #Dartmoor.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/clearing-the...

Tree Planting with Moor Trees - Dartmoor Preservation Association Earlier in the week, we joined our friends Moor Trees for a volunteer tree planting day at Prince Hall. Moorland Farm is Duchy owned land, and Moor Trees had been approached by the Duchy to carry out ...

We joined our friends Moor Trees for a #volunteer tree planting day at Prince Hall, with the aim of bulking out and diversifying pockets of aging beech #woodland.

Saplings planted included: oak, hazel, hawthorn, alder buckthorn, birch and rowan.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/tree-plantin...

Mayday Revels: Dartmoor Tors Festival Lineup Announced - Dartmoor Preservation Association Join us this year for the second Dartmoor Tors Festival, bringing together walkers, thinkers, creatives who are interested in natural landscapes and how we relate to them. It is a celebration of the p...

A packed festival programme for the Dartmoor Tors Festival has now been released, with a number of events which are free to attend. The DPA are delighted to support the festival as lead sponsor for 2026 & look forward to seeing many members & allies there.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/mayday-revel...

Online Talk: Talking Raptor Persecution with Dr Ruth Tingay This is a unique opportunity to hear from wildlife conservationist Dr Ruth Tingay, who has worked in the field of raptor research and conservation...

Hear from wildlife conservationist Dr Ruth Tingay, who has worked in the field of raptor research and conservation for more than 30 years. Ruth now focuses on campaigning against the illegal killing of birds of prey in the UK.

www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...

@friendsofthedales.bsky.social

Make way for butterflies The Dartmoor Preservation Association conservation volunteers did a great job at Common Wood, my common near Horndon on western Dartmoor, on 16 February. Sadly I was not with them. Eight volunteers…

@campaignerkate.bsky.social has written an excellent article on recent DPA conservation work, carried out by our #volunteers on her land at Common Wood.

Work here is aimed at improving habitat for rare #fritillary #butterflies.

campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/02/24/m...

Conservation at Hound Tor Medieval Village - Dartmoor Preservation Association Beyond our own land holdings, the DPA operate a dedicated conservation plan for a number of sites of ecological and historical importance across Dartmoor. One of these sites is Hound Tor 2 Mediaeval v...

Beyond our own land holdings, the DPA operate a dedicated #conservation plan for a number of sites of ecological and historical importance across Dartmoor. Hound Tor #Mediaeval village offers fascinating insights into the #farming practices of the past.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/conservation...

Coalition calls for Protected Landscapes to benefit from visitor levy We’re leading a coalition of bodies, NGOs, and groups, urging Government to ensure any visitor levy benefits England’s National Parks and Landscapes.

There is current discussion about imposing a visitor levy on short-term holiday accommodation in the UK. Should this come into force the DPA are clear that protected landscapes must not be overlooked in plans for a visitor accommodation levy.

www.cnp.org.uk/news/coaliti...

#vistorlevy #Dartmoor

Local #Government Reorganisation is happening in #Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Consultation is open now, until the 26th of March, and it's vital that the views of those who live and work in #Dartmoor are represented in the responses.

Have your say: www.gov.uk/government/c...

Preserving Swincombe: Dartmoor’s Hidden Wild Treasure - Dartmoor Preservation Association Nestled where the River Strane meets the River Swincombe lies a remarkable 50-acre expanse of true Dartmoor moorland, owned and lovingly managed by the Dartmoor Preservation Association. This landscap...

Since saving 50 acres of #Dartmoor, where the Rivers Strane & Swincombe meet, the DPA has devoted itself to nurturing the health of the #mires and open #moorland. For 2026 and beyond we're pleased to announce refreshed land management plans for the site.

dartmoorpreservation.co.uk/preserving-s...