Dartmoor’s Ancient Tracks | 06.07.2023

Dartmoor’s Ancient Tracks.  
An illustrated talk by Emma Cunis on Thursday, 6th July, 2023 at 7pm in The Devon Rural Archive.

Eric Hemery, Dartmoor’s leading writer, once professed “the ancient tracks serve Dartmoor as do the blood-vessels the body – arteries conducting the life-blood of its topographical history’. He was of course referring to the key routes on Dartmoor that offered safe passage through the ages for farmers, merchants, peat cutters, tinners, monks, sailors, the dead and more. These routes crossed fields, lanes and the high moor and enabled travellers to pass from place to place without map and compass whether on foot, on horseback or with pack ponies. The Mariners’ Way, for example, is a fabled ancient route used to travel between the ports of Bideford on the North Devon coast and Dartmouth on the South Devon coast. There are written records of sailors passing through various farms, villages, pubs, and churches along the way. It is also the route that Uncle Tom Cobley and friends used for their eventful journey across the moor to Widecombe Fair! In this talk, which is based on the 1986 book by her grandfather, Emma Cunis Dartmoor’s Daughter, will share some of the history and mystery behind some of these beautiful old routes.

Emma Cunis aka Dartmoor’s Daughter is, like her grandfather Eric Hemery before her, passionate about the moor. She is a Hill and Moorland Leader and an inspiring walking guide, nature-connection facilitator, health and life coach and author. Emma creates walks and immersive nature-connection experiences that invite a deeper connection with our bodies, communities and the land to improve health and happiness as well as to inspire care of the natural world. Her first degree is in history and after university she had a 20-year global business career before returning to the moor where generations of her family have lived.

Image: One of Dartmoor’s ancient routes – photo supplied by Dartmoor’s Daughter.  

Tickets are £7.00 each, and must be purchased in advance.  To purchase a ticket please use the button below.

A Season Ticket to attend all 11 lectures in our 2023 programme is also available in our online shop.  
Please note that payments are non-refundable. 

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