The tenth event in a series of monthly events taking place in different squares of the Dartmoor 365; the square chosen at random by pulling out a square at each event. The square pulled out for this month is U16 Harbourneford. The event will start at around 10am at the given co-ordinates for geo-chat, TB exchanging etc. People are free to come and go as they please. Lala and I will be there until around 12pm.
The event will take place at the Clapper Bridge, and thanks to Finder-Man there is a convient multi cache (a little bridge of course!) based on the bridge! The bridge has a handrail for those who need it, but this is not included in the sketch in the Dartmoor 365 book.
According to John Hayward the hamlet of Harbourneford lies on a minor road that was once the most direct route between South Brent and Buckfastleigh. The hamlet was there when the Domesday Book was compiled, affording a lievlihood for six families, and apparently hasn't grown much since! During the reign of Queen Victoria a letterbox was installed in the wall of Rose Cottage but there is no post office, shop or (quite surprisingly) even a church!
On the other side of the road from the Clapper Bridge are some mature Alders, known as the Aller in Devon, a number off Dartmoor placed names are derived from this form of the word. Alders only grow beside water, and the wood has been renowned for its durability in wet conditions. The Romans used it for making water pipes, the Venitians used it for the foundations of yheir bridges, and the Dutch for making clogs and building dykes. The wood was also used to produce high grade charcoal particularly suitable for manufacturing gunpowder. Male catkins and female cones are borne on the same tree, the little cones remain on the branches throughout the winter after they first open.
