Dartmeet

Dartmeet is a picturesque spot where the boulder-strewn East and West Dart rivers join together. At their junction, a single-span packhorse bridge was built in the 1400s; its remains can still be seen just upstream from the more modern road bridge.

Rising in the boggy plateau of north Dartmoor, the Dart and its tributaries drain a huge area of the moor. The river then flows for 46 miles before entering the sea at Dartmouth.

In the days when the tin mines were working, this area was extremely isolated, lacking even a burial ground of its own. Local people had to carry their dead across the moor to Lydford – “Eight miles in fair weather, and 15 in foul”. In good weather, this is grand walking country with a choice of exploring the higher moor, dotted with a wealth of prehistoric remains, or following the lovely riverside and woodland path that leads to the famous Clapper Bridge near Postbridge, about five miles upstream.

To the east of Dartmeet, and hidden among bracken and gorse, is the Coffin Stone, a large boulder on which it was customary for bearers to rest the body while making the moorland crossing. A cross and the deceased’s initials were carved into the stone while the bearers had some liquid refreshment and got back their breath before continuing on their journey.