There are many hundreds of letterboxes on Dartmoor, yet it is possible to walk all day and, unless actively searching, not spot any at all. I was introduced to letterboxing at a young age, but I was quickly hooked.
How many letterboxes are there on Dartmoor? There are many hundreds of letterboxes on Dartmoor, yet it is possible to walk all day and, unless actively searching, not spot any at all. I was introduced to letterboxing at a young age, but I was quickly hooked.
What is letterboxing and where did it originate? The activity of Letterboxing originated on Dartmoor – it was started in 1854 when James Perrott of Chagford set up a small cairn at Cranmere Pool on north Dartmoor. Inside he put a glass jar where visitors who had ventured to the lonely, bleak spot could leave their visiting cards.
What is a letterboxer? A letterboxer takes an imprint of the stamp and leaves an individual mark in the book. There are many hundreds of letterboxes on Dartmoor, yet it is possible to walk all day and, unless actively searching, not spot any at all. I was introduced to letterboxing at a young age, but I was quickly hooked.
What is a letterbox meet? Letterboxers organize events, usually called meets or gatherings. The first letterbox meet was held on Dartmoor, and they are now held twice yearly on “clock change days” (in March and October).
How many letterboxes are there on Dartmoor?
What is the Dartmoor Letterboxing club? There is an informal group called the Dartmoor Letterboxing Club, whose membership is open to anyone who has found 100 or more letterboxes. They hold twice-yearly meets on the Sundays when the changeover between Greenwich Mean Time and British Summer Time occurs.
How many letterboxes are there in the world? Although letterboxing is most closely associated with Dartmoor, it is now a popular hobby worldwide, with almost 100,000 boxes hidden in North America alone. There is even a letterboxing app for IOS devices (search for “Clue Tracker for Letterboxing”).
What is modern day letterboxing? Modern day letterboxing involves following clues to find hidden ‘letterboxes’. A letterbox typically contains a rubber stamp and a visitors’ book. A letterboxer takes an imprint of the stamp and leaves an individual mark in the book.
What is a letterbox? Today letterboxes tend to be hidden in more accessible parts of the moor. They are small, weatherproof boxes containing a notebook, rubber stamp and inkpad. Those who find them stamp the book to show that they have visited (using either the stamp provided or one of their own).