Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor National Park covers 368 square miles of rugged moorland at the heart of the Devon countryside. The granite landscape was formed by volcanic pressure about 400 million years ago. The unusual geological features gave the country name to an entire epoch of prehistory: the Devonian period.
Driving through Dartmoor is an experience in itself: the local changeable weather system lends to a brooding, almost spooky atmosphere. The hardy, stubborn wild animals, including sheep, cattle and ponies, seem to have a collective intent on hindering vehicular progress! Perhaps the stark landscape was the driving factor behind the authorities creating one of the world's most forbidding prisons over 200 years ago: Dartmoor Jail. Built for the Napoleonic Wars, the jail also accommodated American PoWs during the 1812 conflict as well as some of the most notorious criminals in British history. It's still a working prison today and there's a fascinating museum that can be visited.
Attractions to lighten the Dartmoor mood include the Miniature Pony Centre (which includes a children's farm, petting zoo and pony rides), and the spectacular Becky Falls Wildlife Centre. The famous monastery at Buckfastleigh, on the southern edge of the moor, is also worth a visit.