Dartmoor folklore, myths and stories, with Lisa Schneidau

What role does Dartmoor play in your storytelling?

Dartmoor is a very, very storied place.

I often think about it in layers.

because there's lots and lots of folk tales and myths and legends of the moor but there's also the stories of the land the stories of why this valley is the way it is and the people who worked here the people who lived here and the people who traveled here there's story upon story upon story and even up to now with the stories that are going on so one of the wonderful things about Dartmoor I mean, we're looking out now across the valley and we're looking at Westman's Wood.

Yes.

And we're probably both doing that thing that everyone does.

Isn't that tiny?

I was literally just thinking that.

I was thinking, where is it? Because it can't be that patch of trees.

I'm sure it was bigger.

Yeah, it's that little patch of trees.

And look at this

huge valley

with the tors.

So you get these perspectives.

on the moor and some of them can be inspiring and some of them can be relentless and some of them i find quite depressing

yes

but there's no lack of perspective yes absolutely

Yeah it's just funny you say about being a bit depressing because I was thinking about my favourite spots in the moors and I thought I'm always always drawn to the valleys and where the trees kind of meet the the kind of barren you know moorland and stuff and that's definitely my favourite and sometimes when you go out I don't know like above Avon Dam and stuff it's so bleak like and there's a time for it but I do love I do love the spots like this.

There is an aspect of Dartmoor, no doubt, which is very dark.

And when you get to the centre of the moor, I mean, yes, it's got real issues and it's just a sea of purple moor grass.

But even this bog, that's pretty desolate up there.

Even if that were ecologically...

wonderful yes which i know the

peak project is working hard to achieve yeah it's still going to be pretty godforsaken not a place for people no kind of place that would spit you out