Chagford to host Dartmoor History Day marking 75 years of the National Park
A major heritage event in Chagford will bring together history groups, exhibitions, music and community memories as Dartmoor's unique story takes centre stage this summer
Chagford is set to host a major community celebration of Dartmoor’s heritage this summer, as a free public event brings together exhibitions, music, stories and local memories to mark 75 years since the landscape was designated a National Park.
Chagford will welcome visitors on Saturday, 4 July 2026, for Dartmoor History Day, an event organised by the Chagford Local History Society and held at Jubilee Hall from 10am to 5pm.
The gathering marks the anniversary of Dartmoor National Park, which was established in 1951 under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949.
It was among the first areas in England and Wales to be designated a National Park, recognising its distinctive granite landscapes, archaeological heritage and longstanding farming communities.
Dartmoor History Day will bring together local history groups from across the moor, including organisations from Lustleigh, Moretonhampstead, Okehampton, Throwleigh and Widecombe-in-the-Moor.
Visitors will be able to explore exhibitions and displays charting different aspects of Dartmoor’s past, alongside a special contribution from the Devon History Society, which will present "Devon in the 1920s", offering a snapshot of life in the county a century ago.
The event will also feature displays from the Chagford Heritage Centre, with material from its collections documenting the village’s social and cultural history.
Alongside exhibitions, the day will include live performances of Dartmoor-themed songs and traditional storytelling.
A community memory project, run in partnership with the Chagford Community and Memory Café, will invite local residents to share recollections of life on Dartmoor in past decades, helping to preserve personal histories that might otherwise be lost.
Jon Lawrence, Chair of Chagford Local History Society, said: “Dartmoor has an extraordinary history shaped by its landscape, communities and traditions.
Dartmoor History Day will bring together people from across the moor to celebrate that heritage and to share stories that might otherwise be lost. We hope the event will appeal to anyone with an interest in Dartmoor’s past, present and future.”
The organisers say the event is open to all and aims to celebrate the heritage, landscape and communities of Dartmoor.
Event details:
Dartmoor History Day
- Saturday, 4 July 2026
- 10am-5pm
- Jubilee Hall, Chagford
- Free admission