Wednesday 31 December 2014

Review of the year

365 days.  8760 hours.  525,600 minutes.  2014 has finally reached it's conclusion.  Time to reflect on what has been another year on Dartmoor, letterboxing.  Last Winter's storms gave way for a long settled Summer, and a dry Autumn which enabled long and enjoyable days on the Moor.  Perfect for photography too!




This year has marked the passing of several well known letterboxers.  These include Derek Newman who sadly passed away in October.  Derek famously married his partner Caroline Atchley at the remote Keble Martin Chapel in 1990, after they met whilst letterboxing.  In November, letterboxer Mary Restell died tragically in a diving accident in Gloucestershire.  An accident that left her husband Roy serious injured, but he is recovering.

On the Moor we have bid farewell this year to the poles and power lines that stretched across Walkhampton Common to Princetown.  This year also saw the removal of Dartmoor's smallest cross.  As the legacy of Bill Northmore: Hand Hill Cross was cemented to a prominent rock overlooking Fox Tor Mire.  Unfortunately it was presumed snapped off and lost in November.  Letterbox clues will never be the same again.


The theft of people's property remains a constant threat to this great hobby and the world of Dartmoor letterboxing still grapples to deal with the Dartmoor Letterbox Thief (DLT).  The disappearing boxes result in suspicion and loss of trust in fellow boxer.  Note to all letterbox thieves out there: One day you will be found and face justice - theft is a crime.  Thieves will never succeed wiping out Dartmoor letterboxing.

My 2014 in review:

Number of letterbox walks completed: 18

Number of letterboxes found: 249.  Leaving the grand total found at 15140 stamps.

Letterboxes sited: I've sited 13.  Of which 12 were subsequently recovered.  One missing, presumed stolen.

Distance walked:  Unknown.  Without GPS has meant that I can merely speculate about the distance I have covered.

Most successful walk/Most enjoyable days letterboxing:  In terms of boxes, it'll be the walk from Fernworthy to Cut Hill and back in the footsteps of letterbox pioneer James Perrott.  In terms of number of boxes found, and as a complete day's walk this was by far the successful and enjoyable for me this year.  Cut Hill makes such a fantastic target for a long walk on a sunny day.  I highly recommend it.


Least successful walk:  Littaford Tor January 2014.  Horrendous weather.  Horrendous clues (when you don't have a GPS!).

This year I have fallen completely for the social media outlet that is Twitter, which has opened up opportunities to support the future of letterboxing.  Interesting and exciting links have been made this way and I look forward to making more.  Follow me there @ twitter.com/witc_ian

My WITC blog, incredibly, is about to enter a 5th year of existence and I'm as keen as ever to continue posting.  Two letterbox series have already been prepared for siting in the next 12 months.

Happy New Year to all my blog readers.

Sunday 14 December 2014

This week: Part 2


The second objective during my short stay on Dartmoor was to bring in my Parliament of owls series.  Sited back in May, this set of 7 stamps around Longaford was due for removal.  One of the boxes - the final one of the set - had disappeared, presumed stolen back in October.  However the rest of the set were all on site, with just one stamp off it's backing.  


More than 50 letterboxers have found the series, based on the visitors books, which makes me happy.  Thanks for everyone's support.

This week: Part 1

I had two objectives for this week when the opportunity arose to spend a couple of days on the moor.  One was to do some Christmas walks.  Finding a festive series or two provides a perfect end to the letterboxing year.  Of course, it wouldn't be complete without freezing cold fingers, exchanging Christmas wishes in visitors books and a hail storm.

So I headed up to Cox Tor first to find a few boxes.  It was rumoured that snow would fall in Devon on the morning of my walk.  As is customary, hail fell instead where I was.  After Cox Tor, it was on to Aish Tor.  The oft overlooked rockpile on the River Dart's East bank.  From up here I was able to spy Bench Tor, where last Christmas I had my own letterbox walk sited.  This year, I have chosen not to site a Christmas series.  Though I have other plans instead...