About this strand

This strand seeks to bring out the history side of natural history. Nestled on the edge of the Dartmoor plateau and with the River Teign flowing close by, Chagford has long been blessed with an abundance of wildlife and natural beauty. This is why it emerged as a popular tourist attraction in the nineteenth century. But nature is always changing, not least because humans are always finding news ways to try and tame and control it. Even the wildest corners of Dartmoor bear the imprint of centuries of human intervention. We would like to capture memories of the shifting local landscape and wildlife in this part of the Memory Bank. Do you recall lost trees that once dominated their surroundings, animals that are no longer to be seen, or equally do you recall a time when animals we now take for granted were unknown in the area? If so, please share your memories in this strand – they are important records of ecological change.