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Dartmoor Myths and Legends E-Bike Tour

2018-02-28 15:52:41

Anyone who has ever walked on Dartmoor on a foggy day will understand how it has come to be an area so rich in folklore.  Dark shapes loom out of the mist as you walk and only as you get very close do you realise they are tors or gorse bushes and not monsters or fierce black dogs.  Imagine how much more frightening it would be after a few pints of strong Devonshire cider!

Many of the most famous stories associated with Dartmoor originate in the area around Widecombe, and to celebrate Visit Dartmoor’s 2018 theme “Myths and Legends”, I’ve put together an 11-mile ride for e-bikes which takes in many of the locations associated with these tales.   There’s time to hear the stories and soak up the atmosphere of each site, and then ride between them on top-quality e-bikes which make cycling on hilly Dartmoor accessible to anyone of average fitness.

We cycle first to Widecombe and hear about Jan Reynolds being claimed by the devil after he’d sold him his soul.  Then up the valley to Jay’s Grave where a heartbroken ghost haunts the quiet lane and mysterious flowers regularly appear on the grave.  From here it’s a short ride to Bowerman’s Nose where we can walk up the hill to see this wonderful pillar of granite up close and hear about the witches who conjured it up.  Next on the route is Hound Tor, where a fearsome black dog roams in the mist and home to Bowerman before he was turned to stone.  And the final stretch goes alongside Blackslade Mire where a headless horseman is said to gallop on dark nights and Jan Reynolds had his first meeting with the devil.

The minimum group size is two, maximum is four.  Cost per person is £35.  First tour of the year is on Wednesday 4th April at 10 am, finishing at 1 pm.  Thereafter on request.

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