Dartmoor musings

Posted by Simon on 1st, September 2010 at 06:31:52

I was looking for a new walk on Dartmoor yesterday, which started me thinking about the importance of the moor in the tvdetective books.

It was never a conscious decision to make Dartmoor such a feature, it just arrived in the series, which I suspect is because of my attachment to the wonderful wilderness.  I got to know it well during my days covering the environment, and came to see it as the heart of the south west, both geographically and emotionally.  Given that, I suppose it was inevitable the moor had to feature.

So, what does it add?  Well, it's a beautiful counterpoint to the standard fare of the books, which is far more gritty, the reality of dealing with some awful crimes.  I also think Dartmoor tends to be more compatible with Dan's personality - that kind of way of his of melancholy, or simple depression - than other notable areas of the countryside, like the region's coastline.

It's a great place to give Dan space to think about some of the crimes he's working on, and sometimes provides an inspiration too.  And depending on how his relationship with Claire is going at that moment, it can be a powerfully romantic backdrop - see, I told you I had a heart!

Dartmoor's also a brilliant setting for a bit of action.  When I saw the name Evil Coombe on a map, I just had to set a book there.  So came Evil Valley.

I get quite a few emails asking about the walks I describe in the tvdetective series.  They're all real and I've followed the lot, so I can thoroughly recommend them.  My favourite is the walk to the Ted Hughes memorial, as described in The TV Detective, but that's one you have to prepare well for and is probably best tackled on a day of benevolent weather.

Finally for this post, there's my dear friend Rutherford.  I very much would like to have a dog of my own, but the lifestyle currently just doesn't allow it.  Rutherford delights in Dartmoor, so describing the days he and Dan have there is the nearest I can get to having a dog of my own at the moment, and I love it!

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