William Traies 1789-1872
A Drover Crossing The First Bridge on the Dart, Dartmoor 1857
inscribed on the stretcher ''William Traies 1857 The First Bridge on the Dart Devon''
oil on canvas
33 x 45 cm.
Notes
It is difficult to be precise in locating this view on Dartmoor. It could be one of many locations but two locations where Clapper Bridges can be found on Dartmoor are possibilities.
Dartmeet is a popular tourist spot in the centre of Dartmoor, Devon, England at grid reference SX672731.
It lies at the end of the B3357 road, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Two Bridges. From here, the road continues eastwards as a minor road with restrictions on the size of vehicles, past Poundsgate and over Holne Bridge and New Bridge to Ashburton on the edge of the moor. Immediately east of the river crossing, this road ascends Dartmeet Hill, a long steep hill that climbs 130 metres (430 ft) up the valley side. As the name suggests, Dartmeet is the meeting point of the two major tributaries of the River Dart: the East Dart and West Dart. The road bridge, built in 1792, spans the East Dart; just above it, at the side of the large carpark is an earlier, possibly medieval, clapper bridge, now partially collapsed. The actual confluence of the two rivers is just downstream of the bridge. Dartmeet is the official put in for the Upper Dart section of the River Dart for whitewater kayakers and canoeists.
Dartmeet is at the centre of an internationally important archaeological landscape mainly due to its prehistoric field systems, delineated by reaves, which are among the best preserved in north west Europe.
Dartmeet was one of the boundary points mentioned (though not by name) in the 1240 Perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor, the boundary coming down the East Dart from the Wallabrook, and continuing up the West Dart to the foot of the O Brook. The first documentary reference to the name (as Dartameet) was in a Duchy of Cornwall document dated 1616. Halfwa
...y up Dartmeet Hill, close to the road, lies the Coffin Stone on which coffins would be placed to allow the bearers to take a rest on the way to taking bodies for burial at Widecombe-in-the-Moor. The rock is split in two, along its length. Local legend has it that the body of a particularly wicked man was laid there. God took exception to this, and struck the stone with a thunderbolt, destroying the coffin and splitting the stone in two.
Postbridge is a hamlet in the heart of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon. It lies on the B3212, roughly midway between Princetown and Moretonhampstead. Postbridge is on the East Dart river, one of two main tributaries of the River Dart, and consists of a few houses, a shop, a pub and hotel, and a national park tourist information centre. Postbridge is best known for its fine example of an ancient clapper bridge over the river. First recorded in the 14th century, the bridge is believed to have been built in the 13th century to enable pack horses to cross, carrying tin to the stannary town of Tavistock. The clapper bridge, a Grade II* listed structure, stands alongside a Grade II-listed bridge built in the 1780s.The settlement is also infamous for the ghost story of the Hairy Hands, which supposedly manifest themselves on a road near the village.
A clapper bridge is an ancient form of bridge found on the moors of the English West Country (Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor) and in other upland areas of the United KingdomIt is formed by large flat slabs of stone, often granite or schist. These can be supported on stone piers across rivers, or rest on the banks of streams. The slabs can be quite large. The ones at Postbridge (see image above) are over four metres long and each slab has a weight of over 8 tonnes. And others are tiny leading across small streams or leats (see below). The clapper bridges are mainly found on Dartmoor, where t
Internal Reference: 5155
Antique Number: SA1121214
Dateline of this antique is 19th Century
Height is 33cm (13.0inches)Width is 45cm (17.7inches)Depth is 1cm (0.4inches)
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