Dartmoor — Local history — Edge of the moor

by Colin Burbidge

From the pages of the “Western Times” 21st, 25th & 26th June 1912

A little over 5 to 6 miles west of Murchington, in the late spring of 1912, a new village was taking shape. You would find it, between Oxhead Ridge and Hanging Stone Hill, and close to Teignhead, a wild and remote part of Dartmoor. It had a number of cottages, a church with a 30-foot spire, a public house, a windmill complete with 20ft wheel, and a hospital. The pub is called “The Cows Head”. The pub sign was attributed to be the work of a Corporal Wheeler. The Village has a number of cut-out residents, including one lady dummy in skirt and blouse with a hat trimmed with red and green ribbon.

*Looking south from Gartaven Ford, Dartmoor: the village with no name was slightly west of here on the bleak northern moor*

The village which has no name is the product of 2 months hard work by officers and men of Okehampton Artillery Camp, and its sole purpose is to provide men of the 37th Howitzer Brigade with realistic targets, and about half a day’s firing to destroy the work of 2 months. The guns will be located at Culliver Steps near Belstone and the range to the mystery village is about 6000 yards. From Higher Tor an indistinct view of the village could be had. It looked like a patch of white, black, and brown on the side of Oxhead Ridge covering some 4 to 5 acres. The clever design of these properties made from timber frames and clad with painted canvas, is that they are collapsible.

At the appointed time teams of soldiers would haul on steel guy wires, raising the buildings to the perpendicular, and thus they become three dimensional. When the Artillery attack starts teams of signallers using flags, morse and telephone will observe and relay the accuracy of shelling back to the gunners at Belstone. As in war conditions the gunners will be forbidden to shell the hospital, thus making extra demands on their gun laying accuracy. Originally the destruction of the village was due on June 20th, however bad weather, with gales and heavy rain has forced to postponement of the attack.

On June 26th Lieut. Phillips of the Commandants office said it was impossible to say when the action might take place. Strong winds and heavy rain continued the delay, until the first week in July, when the attack finally took place. A number of long-range photographs were taken of the bombardment and formed a 2-page spread in the Illustrated London News issue dated July 6th, 1912. The picture below is of the dummy church being shelled.

by Colin Burbidge

Reverend John Ingle, Rector of St. Olaves church in Exeter was a man of many parts, combative priest, incessant letter writer, pamphleteer, occasional lecturer, and soon to be a landowner at Murchington. In November 1863 he gave a talk on “Dartmoor”

View of Dartmoor from Scorhill stone circle

On November 6th, 1863, The “Western Times” published a witty review of his lecture.

“DOING DARTMOOR”

“The pleasantest three half hours the Literary Society and its friends have enjoyed at a lecture for a long time were spent on Wednesday night hearing the Rev. John Ingle give a free and easy account of his rambles and scrambles on Dartmoor. John Ingle is a favourite in the lecture room as was proved last night by the crowded state of the theatre which was thronged from floor to ceiling.

He has a manly presence, a goodly crop of beard flourishes in the soil meant for its growth: his voice is clear, and he reads well, though he is no slave to his manuscript, makes himself at home with his audience; lightens his graver talk with gleams of wit and humour. Would you believe it, if you were not told that this same genial clever “companion de voyage” is that Priest Ingle the curate of St. Olaves who delivered that poor bit of half-popish talk about All Saints Day! How two such ill-agreeing characters should be beneath one hat must move our special wonder.

Doing Dartmoor is becoming quite the fashionable thing in Exeter, as many a weary leg, wet jacket and wasted purse could bear witness this last summer. A “Handy Book of Dartmoor” is likely to become a desideratum. Mr. Ingle’s lecture would furnish the substance of such a book. He describes how you might get there –by steam, by team or by ten-toes.

Nor does he forget the commissariat, it is no land where meagre diet or short commons are agreeable; and it is not a land flowing with milk and honey.

His counsel is that intending travellers to Dartmoor bethink them of the claims their stomach will make on them and provide accordingly. He and a friend were there for four days, and bacon and egg, egg and bacon was all the variety they had to play upon.

Mr. Ingle generously offered to give the benefit of his experience to anyone intending to make a tour of our Dartmoor Alps. This brings me back to the Handy Book – let him compile such a book and the traveller will find the convenience of having it always to hand. The lecturer was heartily applauded.”

THE VILLAGE WITH NO NAME

“DOING DARTMOOR” - A talk given in 1863