Dartmoor has many weird and wonderful myths and legends - I’ll be delving into them with Emma Cunis aka Dartmoor’s Daughter - do come and join us 9/10 at atmospheric St Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton 7pm dartmoortorsfestival.co.uk/tall-tales-a... @visitdartmoor.bsky.social @dartmoorcollective.org

Huge congratulations @guyshrubsole.bsky.social ! Your tireless and meticulous research as well as brilliant writing is creating real social change .

A 5 hour swim/scramble down the Dart from Buckfast to Staverton. It’s the only way to see the river as both banks on this stretch are private. Now rather tired ….,

Excellent to hear @lewis-winks.bsky.social on the Today programme this morning discussing his research on 'Who owns the River Dart' - and why this shows we need a right of responsible access Listen here (45mins in): www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Guardian story: www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This Sat - 5 July at 11am at Bude Methodist Church join Matt and I for swimming stories and amazing images of swim locations across the West Country - and after for a dip at Bude Sea Pool … @tessread.bsky.social @outdoorswimmer.com

ICYMI: What Unbound’s demise has shown, to a quite alarming degree, is how little tangible, active advocacy is available to authors in this situation, say the authors affected by the collapse of Unbound in our recent Comment piece 👇 #BookSky

Unbound authors’ statement on the collapse of the publisher. Please read it and share. If you want to know what really went on, here are some answers:

More salt bath than salt path....Matt Newbury and I will be recalling our aquatice adventures in upcoming talks.. we'll be in Bude 5/7/25 (and swimming at #BudeSeaPool of course). The next day we'll be in Fowey - venue TBA. Tix shorturl.at/pjNoM @outdoorswimmer.com @tessread.bsky.social

Being part of the whole Unbound saga has not been fun; one consolation has been the support of the many other authors involved. And so, in that spirit, we've put together a list of some of the great books that now need publishers and agents. Please do share! open.substack.com/pub/therebou...

The banner’s up… the #DartmoorTorsFestival starts today! Lots to enjoy inc talks with writers, archaeologists, artists incl @lisaschneidau.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social , @lewis-winks.bsky.social and walks shorturl.at/Oomce

Much to say, but for now: hurrah! Congratulations to the relentless campaigners that made this happen and to Dartmoor National Park Authority for pursuing the case. A rare victory for people over property. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Win or lose in the Supreme Court, we now want the government to step up and pass a right to roam act, to protect and extend public rights of access to nature across England.” @lewis-winks.bsky.social ahead of this morning’s verdict on wild camping on Dartmoor: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This weekend the #DartmoorTorsFestival will explore and celebrate #Dartmoor - with talks and walks with fascinating people incl @lisaschneidau.bsky.social @lewis-winks.bsky.social @campaignerkate.bsky.social @guyshrubsole.bsky.social - thanks BBC for coverage .

The Supreme Court will rule on the Dartmoor #wildcamping case 21/5 - key players will be at #DartmoorTorsFestival this Sat, incl @guyshrubsole.bsky.social @campaignerkate.bsky.social @lewis-winks.bsky.social Tix: shorturl.at/ebGva @righttoroam.bsky.social @paulpowlesland.bsky.social

Not many people open an interview by quoting Gramsci, but @georgemonbiot.bsky.social does. Dead chuffed to be in conversation with him today at the Restoring Nature festival in Totnes, chatting about cultural hegemony, The Lie of the Land, and campaigning on nature & land reform in England

“A very good new book” - thanks @johnharris1969.bsky.social for your review of #RockIdols in your very interesting substack post .

News just in - Dartmoor wild camping Supreme Court judgement to be handed down on Wednesday next week -- We stand poised to rally, in defiance or celebration. Win or lose, we call on the government to put in place legislation to protect and extend access to nature.

On Saturday I'll be interviewing the amazing @guyshrubsole.bsky.social about his book The Lie of the Land (which is great!) at the Restoring Nature festival. Do come. www.ambios.net/restoring-na...

For anyone who loves #Dartmoor or wild places generally, this is a wonderful book about its history & its mysterious & majestic tors.

Dartmoor’s tors “erupt from the moor, like stone beings… looking like castles, creatures, monsters and giants” Great piece by Sophie Pierce. Come and celebrate these unworldly places at the Dartmoor Tors festival she’s organising (I’ll be speaking) 23-25 May! www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/...

The culture, history and people of Dartmoor will be celebrated at the first #DartmoorTorsFestival 23-26 May - with artists, writers, musicians historians, archaeologists, campaigners and more, including @guyshrubsole.bsky.social @lewis-winks.bsky.social @campaignerkate.bsky.social shorturl.at/Tv5LP

Coffin conversations with coffin cakes. Sat 10 May, St Andrews Church Hall, Ashburton, Devon. It’s the chance to talk about death and dying in a warm and kind atmosphere - more info here www.middevonadvertiser.co.uk/news/coffin-...

***The Green Room Interviews*** Your backstage pass to hear from some of the amazing speakers we welcome every year. Sophie Pierce chats to Jeremy Vine about his debut murder mystery novel, Murder on Line One. @thejeremyvine.bsky.social @smpierce.bsky.social youtu.be/5c3-wNR9KBg

I’ll be doing an illustrated talk about Dartmoor this Sat, 26 April at the Parish Rooms in Tavistock, showing new drawings of the tors and exploring the moor’s geology, mythology +more. Tix on sale at Bookstop Tavistock and online (link in bio) @visitdartmoor.bsky.social @dpadartmoor.bsky.social

A wet Easter weekend reminder that submissions are now open to #Dartmoor printmakers, artists and photographers for our forthcoming new limited edition zine, Flow, which we are aiming to produce over the summer... and also a thread with some hints on what we are looking for....

Really looking forward to this ! If you’re in London on 22 April do come and join us at the wonderful @stanfordstravel.bsky.social

The unveiling of the brand-new Agatha Christie sculpture takes place this Saturday, although if Peter the dog goes missing, our Creative Director Matt may be prime suspect... Come along and enjoy some great entertainment and a treasure hunt from 12pm onwards before the unveiling at 4pm.

Archaeoastronomer Carolyn Kennett will be leading a dawn walk to the Merrivale prehistoric stone row as part of the Dartmoor Tors Festival. It’s on 26/5/25 . She’s an expert on the stones’ relationship to the land, skies and celestial alignments . More on the festival website . (Link in bio )

TODAY! Sun 6 April 1130 - at DNP Visitor Centre, Princetown #Dartmoor - free illustrated talk - hope to see you there . It’s a beautiful day, maybe combine with a walk and pub lunch ?

A 5ft long propped stone, overlooking the stone rows, menhirs, and enclosures of the Drizzlecombe complex. Was this erratic stone set up by people as part of the Drizzlecombe complex of megalithic stone structures? #StandingStoneSunday More... 1/2

So do I !

A nice write-up on 'Rock Idols' in the new issue of One magazine - looking forward to visiting the exhibition of original #Dartmoor drawings in Princetown

All welcome at a free illustrated talk I’m giving with Alex Murdin at DNP Visitor Centre at Princetown Sun 6 April 1130am - to coincide with an exhibition of drawings of the tors from our new book Rock Idols: a guide to Dartmoor in 28 tors. @visitdartmoor.bsky.social @visitdevon.bsky.social

Been setting up a show about #RockIdols at the DNP Visitor Centre in Princetown. Opens 1/4/25 - come and see drawings from the book. And we’re doing a free illustrated talk on 6/4/25 at 11:30 - come along and combine with a Dartmoor walk and/or pub lunch! @visitdartmoor.bsky.social

Old Crockern, rising up to defend Dartmoor… we’ll be hearing from some fascinating speakers at the Dartmoor Tors Festival including @guyshrubsole.bsky.social from @righttoroam.bsky.social , @campaignerkate.bsky.social , @lewis-winks.bsky.social @matthewjkelly.bsky.social -24/5/25 see link in bio

This year's Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers is open to submissions. Founded by @natashacarthew.bsky.social, prizes include a commission on CBTR, Arvon masterclasses & mentoring with commissioners & literary agents. More info/guidelines: www.caughtbytheriver.net/2025/03/the-...

Looking forward to interviewing @thejeremyvine.bsky.social who just hours ago was spotted lurking on the cliffs near Burgh Island… what could he be planning ?

Such a wonderful evening having a little party at Field System Gallery in Ashburton to celebrate launch of #RockIdols - the “tor” kicks off in coming days hope to see you there! www.sophiepierce.co.uk/news/

Really looking forward to this illustrated talk in #Exeter where I’ll be talking all things #Dartmoor with Alex Murdin .. Also showing some rarely seen Victorian etchings of the moor… 7pm 4/4/25 Mint Methodist Church. Tix here shorturl.at/vRDME @steveracemp.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk

6/ On 24th May, I'll be at the Dartmoor Tors Festival, on a panel discussing 'Who really holds the power on Dartmoor?', with the ace @lewis-winks.bsky.social @campaignerkate.bsky.social & @matthewjkelly.bsky.social. Tickets here: dartmoortorsfestival.co.uk/dartmoor-ope...

These people mark the site of Dartmoor’s “newest” stone circle, recently discovered by Alan Endacott who will be leading a walk showing some of his latest finds at the #DartmoorTorsFestival in May. Info and tix on our website (in bio) @visitdartmoor.bsky.social @intarcheditor.bsky.social

We are very excited to be releasing our Literary Festival programme tomorrow morning (Monday 24 March). We hope we have got something for everyone, with some wonderful speakers sharing both their love of both Agatha Christie and the crime writing genre in general. www.agathachristiefestival.com

To see from hill to hill, mountain to mountain...gives the illusion at least of a wider comprehension of the world.' Kirsteen McNish speaks to writer @smpierce.bsky.social & artist Alex Murdin about their connection to the landscape of Dartmoor www.caughtbytheriver.net/2025/03/alex...

In defence of the former Commission for Rural Communities, and of @naturalengland.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2025/03/20/a... @campaign4parks.bsky.social @ramblersgb.bsky.social @openspacessociety.bsky.social

Do come and find out more about Dartmoor’s traditions, tales, and tors - I’m doing a series of illustrated talks about #RockIdols in coming weeks …see link in bio. Also showing some fascinating Victorian drawings. @visitdartmoor.bsky.social @dartmoorcollective.org @dpadartmoor.bsky.social

Part of a recumbent stone row at Cut Hill, one of Dartmoor's remotest sites. In 2021, a large kistvaen was discovered nearby. It was excavated in 2024. The findings will be revealed in a special talk by DNP archaeologists at the Dartmoor Tors Festival wegottickets.com/event/651686

Coming up in May - the first #dartmoortorsfestival lots of events with a variety of people including artist Garry Fabian Miller, writers Fiona Williams and @guyshrubsole.bsky.social and campaigners including @campaignerkate.bsky.social and @lewis-winks.bsky.social - more at link in bio

WELL DONE GUY!!! All that hard, meticulous research was not in vain!

Sharpitor by William Widgery. But how much credit can he take for copying something that is already there ? Surely Dartmoor is the real artist? A group of contemporary artists discuss this at the #dartmoortorsfestival - including @stoneclub.bsky.social #garryfabianmiller - more info in link in bio

A prehistoric ring cairn at Seven Lords Lands #Dartmoor - the burial place of one of our ancestors. It is surrounded by a ring of tors: the site was obviously carefully chosen. A moving place, especially at dawn when the sun rises by Rippon Tor. Perhaps on Solstice it rises right behind it?