By: Blonde Two
Almost everybody who walks Dartmoor’s fair hills has, at some point in their life, had an awful lot of fun letterboxing.
Letterboxing is a particularly exciting way to introduce children and adults alike to the outdoors. It began on Dartmoor but is now popular all over the world. It could be suggested that geocaching is letterboxing’s more digitally capable granddaughter.
The Blondes obviously like letterboxing because it involves finding (a most favourite pastime of ours). You get more information and find out how to get clues to official letterboxes here – http://www.dartmoorletterboxing.org/
At an official letterbox (be warned, there are lots of rules and people who don’t approve) you will find a small pot, a visitors’ book and a stamp. The idea is that you stamp the mark into your own book and leave your own stamp in the visitors’ book.
There is a fine line between letterboxing and litterboxing. Nobody wants to see plastic boxes sticking out from between rocks or pieces of paper blown across the moor. Many families now have their own letterboxes and generations of youngsters have had their first introduction to Dartmoor from these experiences.
The Two Blondes are maybe being a bit naughty by having their own, very small, letterbox. We are not going to tell you where it is (some of you may guess), but it is very well hidden and contains only one thing. You can leave us a present if you would like to!
Hmm. I wonder how many years I would be missing from home if I decided to find your box on all of Dartmoor? I only ever found one – Cranmere Pool – back in 1966 or thereabouts – but I was VERY pleased with myself because I navigated straight to it on a compass course from Gidleigh Youth Hostel. A most unusual experience for me – I can lose myself anywhere (and usually do.)