Speakers and performers announced for DPA Summer Gathering

The Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA) has announced an inspiring line up of speakers and performers for this year's Summer Gathering, which will take place on Saturday, 20th September, at the Plume of Feathers pub in Princetown.

Running from 1pm to 6pm, the event promises a mix of talks, live music, storytelling and Morris dancing, bringing together campaigners, conservationists and the local community to celebrate Dartmoor’s heritage and culture.

Among the speakers is Kate Ashbrook, DPA vice-chair and general secretary of the Open Spaces Society, who will reflect on “the importance of campaigning” from her lifetime of experience which began on Dartmoor, alongside the late and indefatigable Sylvia Sayer, one of the moor’s most passionate defenders.

Dr Sharon Gedye will present Dartmoor's Transhumant Landscape History: Understanding the Summering of Herds on the Moor, exploring the ancient practice of seasonal grazing, known as transhumance, that shaped the moor’s ecology.

Landowner and conservationist Robin Bowman will share insights from Moor Barton Wilding, a 120-acre rewilding project on Dartmoor that has reintroduced beavers for the first time in centuries and is now “bursting with life”.

Meanwhile, landscape archaeologist Dr Chris Smart, currently a researcher for the Hidden Kingdoms project, will discuss the communities, landscapes and material culture of South-Western Britain’s lesser-known kingdoms between the 5th and 7th centuries AD.

Alongside the talks, the DPA is promising an afternoon of vibrant performances. Holly Ebony, a contemporary folk singer-songwriter described as having a voice “heathery sweet and peaty raw as the Dartmoor landscape she hails from,” will take to the stage. Dartmoor Border Morris, formed in 2001 in Meavy, will showcase their lively stick dances, while Helen JR Bruce will captivate audiences with interactive retellings of Dartmoor folklore, from tales of Old Crockern to ghostly encounters on the moor.

The event will also feature food and drink served by the Plume of Feathers and a chance for members and supporters to connect. The DPA said: “Members and supporters are warmly invited to our Summer Gathering, which will be a celebration of community, culture and our successes over the year so far.”

To make the event accessible, a limited number of “pay what you can” tickets are available, alongside standard bookings via EventBrite. Children attend for free, and adult tickets can be purchased with a 10% discount using the code ‘LOVEDARTMOOR’.

Founded in 1883, the DPA is one of the UK’s oldest environmental organisations. It has long campaigned to protect Dartmoor’s landscapes and wildlife, and earlier this year celebrated a landmark victory in the Supreme Court affirming the public’s right to backpack camp on the moor.

The association added: “The DPA are delighted to offer this opportunity to gather at the end of summer and celebrate a year of huge successes, including the triumphant Supreme Court ruling on the right to backpack camp on Dartmoor.”