Letterboxing – a new-to-me hobby that gives us an excuse to get outside and explore the countryside – perfect!
Google tells me that letterboxing started on Dartmoor in 1854 when a visitor left a jar for cards, which evolved into hikers leaving hidden boxes with stamps. “An outdoor treasure-hunt game combining hiking and rubber-stamping”.
There are letterboxes closer to home on Bodmin Moor, but the real treasure hunting opportunities are on Dartmoor. It’s not too far for a Sunday excursion, and with somewhere around 3,000 to 5,000 letterboxes on Dartmoor at any given time, there’s plenty to do.
We have started by following letterboxes put out in a series, using GPS and OS map co-ordinates, along with clues to track them down. We have a blank notebook each for both Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor, in which to collect our stamps. Some letterboxes contain their own log book (usually the last box if we are doing a series) , and we carry stamps of our own to enter into those.
An example of a clue:
“Box between a 4ft x 2ft 102 leaning embedded upright rock with red and green lichen with moss on its SW side and a 3ft x 2ft ridge rock. A stream is 1 pace SW. A gorse bush that has seen better days is 45° and 11 paces. A tiny reed patch is 275° and 10 paces. SWW apex of building 20°. LHE of bottom outcrop 236°. House with two chimneys 288°.”
It’s loads of fun but I’m not so keen on sticking my hand into holes and under rocks – particularly as it must surely be the perfect landscape for adders. A walking pole is a valued accessory!
