Dartmoor Forest Parish Council

Dartmoor Forest Parish Council serves the heart of Dartmoor National Park, covering the ancient royal Forest of Dartmoor, an area of roughly 56,000 acres that makes it the largest civil parish in Devon, despite a small and scattered population. The parish was formed in 1987 following the division of the historic parish of Lydford, and takes in the principal settlements of Princetown, the moor's highest village, along with Postbridge, known for its medieval clapper bridge, and the remote hamlet of Hexworthy. Because so much of the parish is open moorland within the National Park, the council works closely with the Dartmoor National Park Authority, which it is consulted by on all planning applications affecting the area. Locally, the council looks after practical community assets: the play area in Princetown, the cemetery in Postbridge, community defibrillators in Postbridge, Hexworthy and Princetown, and planter schemes sponsored by local businesses. Meetings are normally held on the fourth Tuesday of each month in Princetown Community Centre, with the August meeting moved to Postbridge Village Hall. Cover photograph: photo by Brian Henman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.