By: Blonde Two
Two Blondes Walking have an affiliate advertising relationship with Ordnance Survey

With more national lockdowns in place post-Christmas, Dartmoor might be an escape too far for you. So we thought we’d bring you our very own Blonde online Dartmoor Escape room. All you need is a map (Ordnance Survey Explorer OL28 or the OSMaps app)and a bit of patience. This is your final clue of three (clue one) (clue two). By the end of today, you’ll have found somewhere to shelter in an appropriately lonely spot on Dartmoor.

Work together or work alone but whatever you do, don’t let anybody see you, and don’t linger too long, this is an ESCAPE ROOM after all

Dartmoor Tin Mining

You are hiding in one of Dartmoor’s many old tin workings. The patrol you were hiding from has gone and you stand up to stretch your legs. You are hungry and very tired. You don’t know what to do next.

Then something catches your eye. It’s another box. You open it and take out a compass and another message.

‘My first is in nuts but not in satsuma

My second one starts a useful get-under

My third matches my first in shape and form

My fourth’s not in term but definitely in storm

That’s the first word but another you need

If you’re wise my next words you’ll carefully heed,

WATCH OUT FOR ANGRY WOMEN!’

Riddle me this

It takes you a while to solve the riddle but you locate your next destination. There are boundaries marked there so it might offer shelter. The only problem is that between you and that shelter there are nine kilometres of Dartmoor bog. There’s no way around without heading back into a civilisation so you resign yourself to wet feet, and an unpleasant walk.

Crossing the bogs

There are paths marked but your instinct tells you not to trust these. Dartmoor’s bogs are famous for their barren, tricky-to-navigate landscapes.

You look at the compass. You know it will help you cross the bog but can you remember how to use it?

You turn the bezel to 270 degrees. It looks as though this bearing will take you to a track after about eight kilometres.

You look at your watch, you don’t have much time. You decide to set off across the bog.

Follow the track

Some of the bogs are impassable and you have to deviate. When you arrive at the track you have to decide which way to turn. You decide to head north and, with soaking wet feet, continue until you see an old farm building.

Don’t be angry

There are shutters on the windows and the building looks locked up. You approach carefully and push the door. It opens, you walk cautiously inside. There’s a fire in the fireplace, there is a massive pile of food on the table, there’s nobody there.

Hungry and cold you eat some food standing right next to the fire. As you finish you notice yet another box on the mantelpiece. There are no more messages. Just an ornate key.

Welcome home

You pick the key up, look at it, then look around the room. There’s only one keyhole, it’s in the door you have just come through. You try the key, it fits so you lock the door.

WELCOME HOME! YOU HAVE SAFELY ESCAPED TO DARTMOOR!