Princetown
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Princetown is a town situated on Dartmoor in the county of Devon in England. Grid reference
Princetown is best known as the site of the notorious Dartmoor Prison. It is the highest town on the moor, and one of the highest in the United Kingdom. The branch railway to the town, closed in 1956, was also the highest railway line in England, its Princetown terminus being 435 metres above sea level.
Tor Royal Lane leads down from the town to the site of the disused Whiteworks tin mine, which overlooks Fox Tor Mires, the presumed site of the Grimpen Mire to be found in Arthur Conan Doyle's tale The Hound of the Baskervilles. Conan Doyle stayed at the Royal Duchy Hotel in the town before writing the book. The hotel has long since closed and the building now houses the High Moorland Visitor Centre which provides a wealth of information and exhibits for those visiting the moor.
Other points of interest in the town include the prison museum and the town churchyard which houses the graves of French and American prisoners of war who were originally housed at the prison.
In terms of tourism, Princetown tends to be extremely popular with walkers and the sight of large groups of young people with rucksacks is especially common during the summer months. Bunkhouse, bed and breakfast and camping facilities are available in the town and there are also a handful of local shops where visitors can stock up on essential items.
As well as the pubs, one of which has its own brewery producing the appropriately named Jail Ale, there are also a couple of cafes, one of which is situated in what used to be the town's police station.
A summer bus service, the Transmoor link from Plymouth to Exeter and vice versa, passes through the town but in general there is little public transport and any visitors hoping to visit Plymouth or the nearby town of Tavistock via bus in the evening will be disappointed.
North Hessary Tor overlooks the town. The tor can be easily identified by the large television mast on top of it, a structure which provides a useful guide point for walkers from miles around.
Princetown is the most deprived ward in Devon and numerous attempts to regenerate the town have failed to bear fruit. When the Home Office changed its rules on where prison wardens should live, staff moved out of the town and much housing became available. This vacant property was then offered to the disabled, the unemployed and one parent families. With few facilities and little public transport these people have become isolated. A charity has been formed, called "High Moorland Community Action", which aims to improve the situation.
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