Dartmoor exhibition offers glimpse into 1920s life

A new exhibition exploring what life was like on Dartmoor in the 1920s will go on display this summer at the Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre in Princetown.

Running from Tuesday 17 June to Sunday 27 July 2025, the exhibition is free to attend and will be open during normal hours (10am to 5pm).

The display is a collaboration between the Devon History Society and the Dartmoor Trust, forming part of the wider Devon in the 1920s Festival, which invites people across the county to reflect on what their communities looked like a century ago.

Through photographs and a collection of items, the exhibition tells the story of life on Dartmoor a hundred years ago and places it in the wider context of 1920s Devon.

An additional celebratory event will take place at Parke in Bovey Tracey on Saturday 14 June, offering visitors the chance to learn more about Dartmoor’s history.

Tickets can be booked in advance.

Tony Clark, Chair of the Dartmoor Trust, said: “Dartmoor was and remains a focus for Devon’s visitors. The Dartmoor Trust helps the public to appreciate and respect Dartmoor through its expanding online collection of 60,000 images. We're very pleased to be working with the Devon History Society to look back at the 1920s and help people see what's changed – and what hasn't.”

Julia Neville, Project Manager for the Festival of Devon in the 1920s, said: “As transport improved and people had more free time, the beauty of Dartmoor began to be appreciated by those who’d never had the chance to visit it before.”