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Wistmans Wood
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| Following the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago Dartmoor became almost entirely covered by trees. The prehistoric wood called Wistmans Wood on Dartmoor is Devon's oldest woodland. |
| Wistmans wood is a small copse of stunted oak trees. Wistmans wood is home to almost 50 species of moss and liverwort and over 100 types of lichen. |
| From the Ice Age to the settlement of prehistoric man Wistmans wood covered the whole of the West Dart Valley, until much of the wood was cleared for agriculture. |
| Wistmans wood is said to be haunted by a pack of Wisht hounds who hunt across the moors at night in search of lost souls and unwary travellers. They follow their master, who may be the Devil or perhaps Old Crockern, the ancient spirit of Dartmoor. The hounds are said to be huge black dogs with blood red eyes, snorting fire from their nostrils. |
| www.honeybag.co.uk is where you can get information on Dartmoor, Dartmoor tors, Dartmoor crosses, Dartmoor history, and places on Dartmoor like Crockern Tor and Wistmans Wood. |