When walking on the eastern edge of Dartmoor a few weeks ago we came across a chair. Not just any old chair, but a huge, wooden chair staring out onto the moor, devoid of any explanation or seeming purpose. It was far too big to sit on, and in any case it had no seat to speak of, being essentially just a frame. We attempted to climb it regardless, but were scuppered due to lack of rope and other equipment. Bemused, we wondered ‘why is it here?’ What role could it have, being both pointless and unusable, but at the same time really rather good? And with that question, the answer became obvious: it must be art.The chair has apparently been gracing the field just off a footpath not too far from Hameldown Tor (SX724800 or thereabouts) since late 2006, erected on private land by artist Henry Bruce. 6 m high, it is made from untreated oak obtained locally and was constructed using traditional methods. Unfortunately, planning permission was not obtained before it was built, leaving its future precarious. Retrospective permission was eventually granted but only for a period of three years, up until March 2009, after which point it was supposed to be dismantled. A handful of people with no sense of fun complained, accusing it of making the moor into a theme park and over-running the footpath with traffic. Luckily, the chair was still there in November, so fingers crossed it will remain intact for some time.
About a kilometre or so east from the giant’s chair lies a much more famous Dartmoor landmark: the grave of Kitty Jay, the story behind which is rather sad. Supposedly in the late 18th century an orphaned baby girl was taken to the Poor House at Newton Abbot, where she was raised and given her name. When old enough to work she was sent to a farm near Manaton where she laboured long and hard both in the house and out in the fields; a tough, lonely and miserable existence for which she would have received very few rewards. When still in her teens she fell in love with a man on the farm, possibly the farmer's son or possibly a hired hand, by whom she became pregnant. Back in the 1700s this was seen as a terrible crime, but one for which all the blame was laid on the woman. Kitty was therefore thrown out of the farm in disgrace, left alone with no prospects and nowhere to go. The sense of shame and thoughts of her bleak future were too much for her to bear, and so tragically she hung herself in a local barn.
There was a huge stigma attached to the act of suicide and so people who died in this way were not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground. Kitty was therefore interred at a crossroads, a site chosen so that if her spirit arose it would not know which way to turn, and so would be unable to either make its way to heaven or to return to haunt the living who were the cause of its great pain. This practice of burying suicides at crossroads was an old tradition that continued until 1823, after which point the bodies were finally admitted to churchyards.
The headstone that is now in place was not erected at the time of Kitty's death, but rather several decades later, in 1860 or thereabouts. At this time a group of men, aware of the legend and curious as to its veracity, did some digging at the crossroads and discovered the skeletal remains of a young woman. Assuming that these were indeed the bones of Kitty they placed them in a coffin, reburied them and marked the site with blocks of granite.
The grave has ever since been associated with unusual occurrences. A spectral figure has reportedly been spotted on multiple occasions, although there is disagreement as to whether this is the ghost of Kitty Jay herself, or that of her guilty lover. The grave is also always adorned with fresh flowers, usually yellow, but apparently no one has any idea who puts them there. It is a popular spot to visit however, and when we passed we saw not just flowers but also coins placed neatly atop it.
Both of these interesting spots can be visited as part of a fairly long circular walk taking in the surrounding tors. Starting in the village of Widecombe in the Moor, the walk first proceeds along the Two Moors Way as it heads northwards over the gently-rising hill of Hamel Down. After standing on as many tops as you care to, head down by the edge of the wood to the road at Natsworthy. From here, take the footpath east which leads past both the chair and Jay's grave, then stroll up onto Hayne Down, enjoying the impressive natural sculpture that is Bowerman's Nose. Next, make your way down for a brief walk along a road heading south, then stroll up onto Hound Tor, an irritatingly busy place, but one which boasts plenty of good rocks for scrambling on. Head south east through the ruins of a mediaeval settlement, pop down into the valley and then ascend up onto the group of hills crowned by Haytor Rocks. There are multiple car parks within sight of this tor, meaning it has been colonised by climbers, but one would imagine that when the weather is less than fair these will rapidly disperse. The next tors to take in are Saddle Tor, Rippon Tor across the road, and finally the twin tops of Top Tor and Pil Tor. From here bust your way downhill to the west, taking care not to end up waist-deep in bog, then at the edge of access land rejoin the road and stroll back into Widecombe, which will provide you with both tea and beer. I have sketched out the route below; my drawing skills leave a lot to be desired but hopefully it gives the general gist of way to go.
