Dartmoor Trust Archive

On 8 May 1945, Victory in Europe (VE) Day brought joyous relief to Devon as it did across Britain. After nearly six years of war, the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany was announced, and communities from Exeter to Plymouth and along the county’s coast erupted in celebration. In Exeter, people danced in streets adorned with red, white and blue bunting, attended thanksgiving services in the cathedral and churches, and watched military parades. In war-battered Plymouth, a vital naval base that had endured heavy bombing, residents poured into the streets for impromptu parties, singing, and dancing as the long shadow of blackout restrictions finally lifted. Across Devon’s towns and villages, bonfires were lit, children enjoyed street parties and families reflected on loved ones lost while embracing hope for peace. VE Day marked not just the end of conflict in Europe, but a heartfelt tribute to the resilience of Devon’s people on the home front and those who had served from its shores. 1.Ground crew on a RAF Bomber Command station in Britain return the ‘V for Victory’ sign to a neighbouring searchlight crew. Silhouetted is the nose of a Lancaster bomber. 2: Winston Churchill. 3: Group celebrating. 4:Trafalgar Square Celebrations (Imperial War Museum) 5: Ashburton street party 6: Children in Sticklepath gather next to a celebratory VE Day bonfire ( Dartmoor Trust Archive ). #devon #veday #veday80 #ww2 #peace

💐 Happy Easter 💐 With our grateful thanks to all at Moretonhampstead Primary School ✨ How Phoebe the donkey got her name… Phoebe is named after Phoebe Wortley-Talbot (1926–2009), whose generous bequest established the Phoebe Wortley-Talbot Charitable Trust to support projects on Dartmoor. In 2023 the Trust awarded a grant to the Dartmoor Trust, funding a two-year artist programme celebrating the moor. Year 1 (2024) featured invited photographers; Year 2 (2025) worked with members of the South West Academy of Fine & Applied Arts. Both years ended with major exhibitions and publications. As part of Year 2, the Academy and Dartmoor Trust ran an education project with Moretonhampstead Primary School. Under headteacher Alex Waterman and educationalist Nic George, the children designed a large-scale donkey model. Artist and sculptor Mairi Hunt painted it using their drawings. The finished donkey — named Phoebe in memory of the original benefactor — was first shown alongside the children’s work at the Dartmoor exhibition in Neadon Barn, Manaton, in September 2025, and later at Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary. It now has a permanent home at the school on a plinth made by local craftspeople. Donkeys have a long history on the moor as sturdy pack animals for farms and mining. Phoebe is a joyful, collaborative celebration of Dartmoor, art, and local education. #moretonhamsteadprimaryschool #moretonhampstead #yourdartmoorourdartmoor #dartmoor

With Love on Mother’s Day 🥰 #dartmoor #mothersday #archives #yourdartmoorourdartmoor To see these beautiful pictures and many more, please click the link in our bio 💓💐💓 Worth Collection Taylor Collection Manaton Collection Lorna Smith Collection Thurlow Collection

Every act of compassion, every moment we choose to see the humanity in others, strengthens the bond that holds us together. And when we step outside together, when we let nature be our common ground, we remember the simple truth: we all belong to each other, and to this earth we share.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Fernley Heath Collection 1970s #valentinesday #yourdartmoorourdartmoor #dartmoor #dartmoornationalpark #archives

To Past and Present, Life and Love, Family and Friendships, Kindness and Connection. Happiest New Year Wishes ❤️ These images can be found in the following collections: Redstone Collection Collings Collection Stephen Woods Collection #dartmoor #dartmoornationalpark #archive #devon #yourdartmoorourdartmoor

Dear Friends From all of us at the Dartmoor Trust we want to thank you for all your love and support this past year and wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful Christmas ✨ #dartmoor #archives #devon #yourdartmoorourdartmoor

11 November 1918, the WWI #Armistice, signed by the Allies and Germany in a railway car in Compiègne, France, came into effect and #WWI hostilities ended at 11am, “the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.” #ArmisticeDay 1914-18 war soldiers, including some from South Tawton South Tawton Collection King George V laying a wreath on the coffin of the Unknown Warrior at the Cenotaph before its burial in Westminster Abbey on Armistice Day, 1920 At the eleventh hour on the eleventh day of the eleventh month in #1918 , the guns fell silent along the Western Front, marking the end of the Great #War . Germany signed an unconditional surrender through the Armistice, bringing a close to four harrowing years of unprecedented bloodshed that claimed tens of millions of lives. It was heralded as “the war to end all wars,” yet #history has tragically proven otherwise, with conflicts continuing to scar the world. Today, on this solemn day, we pause to honour every man and woman who has sacrificed their life in war and peacekeeping—from the trenches of the First World War to the battles and missions that followed—and all those who still serve our nations with unwavering courage. As Laurence Binyon’s poignant poem “For the Fallen” reminds us: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Lest we forget #lestweforget #Dartmoor #peace

Approximately 11,600 men and women from Devon lost their lives during or as a result of serving their country in the First World War.  This figure is commemorated on the Devon County War Memorial on Cathedral Green in Exeter. The figure reflects the significant sacrifice made by the county, with nearly every parish in Devon having a war memorial dedicated to its fallen.  The primary county regiment, the Devonshire Regiment, alone suffered around 5,787 dead across its many battalions that served in various theatres of war, including the Western Front, Italy, Macedonia, Egypt, and Mesopotamia.  After the Armistice of November 11, 1918, which ended World War One, the country experienced an unprecedented wave of commemoration due to the loss of approximately 722,785 soldiers, most of whom were young and unmarried, shifting much of the mourning to parents and communities. At the local level, communities across Britain and Ireland formed committees to fund and erect tens of thousands of memorials through public subscriptions and private donations, with the majority of stone structures built by the mid-1920s and continuing into the 1930s. Mr Nick Hewitt creator of the National Inventory of War Memorials: “They were seen as members of the community first and soldiers second” 1WW Crediton War Memorial unveiling May 16th 1923 Tony Clark Collection Dedication of the Lustleigh War Memorial ,1922 Lustleigh Collection Dedication Of The Princetown War Memorial November 12th 1921 Tony Clark Collection Chagford War Memorial Dedicated In 1928 Boddy Collection The Cave-Penney Cross Memorial, erected 1918. Sherwell Down, Dartmoor. Ivybridge War Memorial Dedication September 22nd 1922 Evans Collection DevonshireRegiment “The Devons” Parade on Angel Hill Tiverton, 1914 Tony Clark Collection Devonshire Regiment group India Circa 1915 Tony Clark Collection Devonshire Regiment men employed in forestry: ‘Devon Knuts in the Forest’ Circa 1915 Newly enlisted volunteers “Pals” of The 8TH Devons billeted at Dawlish, 1914 Tony Clark Collection #Dartmoor #Devon #WW1 #lestweforget #soldier #Devonshireregiment #remembrance #greatwar

We had a fantastic evening celebrating the opening of Dartmoor New Horizons exhibition last Friday, alongside @swacart , the Phoebe Wortley-Talbot trust and many wonderful artists. This brilliant show, celebrating the art and artists of Dartmoor through a variety of mediums, is up for the rest of this week only, so make sure you head over to Neadon Barn in Manaton to view it. A big thank you to our hosts @neadonweddingbarn for this wonderful space and to all the hard workers associated with the involved trusts for the efforts that went into the creation of this show. It’s a truly inspiring collection of art. Entry is free and refreshments are available. Find us in the Devon Open Studios Catalogue as T37. Also find us at heritage open days for more information. @devonopenstudios @heritageopendays Photography from @laurenwiig #exhibitionsindevon #dartmoorartists #dartmoortrust #supportartists #devonopenstudios #southwestarts #devonartists #devonexhibition

Dartmoor - New Horizons 🌿Open Now through Saturday September 14th 🌿Neadon Barn Manaton Devon TQ13 9UY 🌿Open Daily 10:30am to 4:30pm 🌿 ♿️ Accessible 🌿 Free Parking 🌿 Free Entrance @swacart @devonopenstudios @neadonweddingbarn #dartmoor #exhibition #devon There is a fine tradition of painting on Dartmoor dating back to the 18th century. Early artists were captivated by the moor’s remote wildness and were often tempted to exaggerate a sense of scale and foreboding. Later the Victorian Romantics found beauty amid the tors and river valleys and within the hues of gorse and heather. In this, the second year of the Legacy project, SWAc Academicians will be exhibiting over 150 new works interpreting the moor in contemporary manner in the magnificent Neadon Barn at Manaton. 🌿Running from 6th-14th of September as part of the Devon Open Studios programme, the exhibition ‘Dartmoor - New Horizons’ follows the hugely popular photography exhibition held in the barn in 2004. A new publication describing the historic legacy and contemporary influences of the moor on artists’ works will accom- pany the exhibition, illustrated with all the exhibited artworks. Photographs in this post were kindly provided by Louis Victory of SWAc @louisvictoryarts

Dartmoor - New Horizons 🌿September 6th - 14th 🌿Neadon Barn Manaton Devon TQ13 9UY 🌿Open Daily 10:30am to 4:30pm 🌿 ♿️ Accessible 🌿 Free Parking 🌿 Free Entrance @swacart @devonopenstudios @neadonweddingbarn #dartmoor #exhibition #devon There is a fine tradition of painting on Dartmoor dating back to the 18th century. Early artists were captivated by the moor’s remote wildness and were often tempted to exaggerate a sense of scale and foreboding. Later the Victorian Romantics found beauty amid the tors and river valleys and within the hues of gorse and heather. In this, the second year of the Legacy project, SWAc Academicians will be exhibiting over 150 new works interpreting the moor in contemporary manner in the magnificent Neadon Barn at Manaton. 🌿Running from 6th-14th of September as part of the Devon Open Studios programme, the exhibition ‘Dartmoor - New Horizons’ follows the hugely popular photography exhibition held in the barn in 2004. A new publication describing the historic legacy and contemporary influences of the moor on artists’ works will accom- pany the exhibition, illustrated with all the exhibited artworks.

Dear friends We warmly invite you to join us at our latest 2025 #exhibition and book release: DARTMOOR • NEW HORIZONS Opening this Saturday 6th - 14th September Free entry Open Daily: 10:30 - 4:30 #Neadon Barn #Manaton #Devon TQ139UY For more information and map of location please visit von OpenStudios.co.uk @devonopenstudios Alternatively, details can also be found at: full event information can be found on our website and we can always be reached by emailing: [email protected] We would love to see you! @swacart @devonopenstudios @neadonweddingbarn