Hound Tor and Medieval Settlement

Hound Tor and Medieval Settlement

Hound Tor

We rounded off our trip to Dartmoor by heading out to Hound Tor as I’d seen it listed on the map as a Medieval Settlement; which of course piqued my interest – although I’ll get to that shortly!

The first thing we noticed as we drove up to the Tor was it’s resemblance to a sleeping dog, or a dinosaur; presumably contributing to the name. A popular spot with climbers, these majestic rock formations are rife with little crags and crevices to explore.

We lost ourselves up at Hound Tor for hours just exploring; examining the rock formations and talking about glaciers, Ice-ages, volcanic extrusions and all kinds of geological features. We examined the rocks trying to identify all of the inclusions; (whether they were mineral or fossil, what and how) and climbing up the inviting rocks to admire the whole panorama.

We even accidentally made a new photographer friend; communicating between the peaks as we got some snaps to help each other out. (Although she was definitely the superior talent!!) Of course the Bigman couldn’t resist scaling the most teetery looking formation for his Sisyphus impression.

After a quick noodley dinner back at the van; we followed them to a local pub who are happy to let you stay the night if you buy a few rounds. We spent a lovely evening listening and dancing to the live music, the kids even taught our new friends a card game or two!

Medieval Village

The following morning we returned to Hound Tor, to investigate the ruins that had originally caught our attention. We trooped through the ferns expecting to see a few stones through the grass- and maybe a bit of a wall still intact. Instead we found this….

The whole village was still there! From doorways and steps to drains and hearths. We took our time investigating all of the buildings, working out exactly where the animals had been kept, where the grain was stored. And what all the little apertures could have been for. Diligently researching and looking up any information that we didn’t know, and applying it to what we could see thanks to the modern day Library-in-your-pocket!

We also spent a while roleplaying while the Bigman filmed the area. “Cooking” soup at the fire out of contemporary herbs and roots, and feeding and tending the animals. We also got talking about the evolution of medicine, due to the proliferation of Foxgloves around the site- a source of digoxin; predominantly used in heart medicine; and a notoriously toxic compound found in the common roadside flower.

Moor of a Curriculum

Our (interrupted) week in Exmoor and Dartmoor covered many subjects, from Medicinal Science, Marine Biology, Cookery, Numeracy, Literacy, Teamwork and compromise to; Physical Education, Mechanics, Steam Power, History, Minerals and Geology, Construction, Water Cycles, Religion, Nutrition, Road Safety, Physiology, Mammal life cycles, and Nutrition.

Small, a particularly reticent reader (A part of my suspicion that she may well be dyslexic) was reading every road-sign and place name; working out distances and times from the milages given, even prices and weights with the shopping and cooking.

Both girls, often astute anyway; took every opportunity to ask logical and meaningful questions about all elements. Tying things in to earlier conversations or unexpectedly related topics without prompting.