Humanities Week trip to Dartmoor

Posted on 31/03/2011

Humanities

During Humanities week all of Year 8 took part in fieldwork on Dartmoor. The day comprised of annotated field sketches at Hound Tor to look at the development of the landscapes and the land forms. Students then visited the abandoned medieval village and considered the implications of climate change and the plague in the 12th century.

They then followed a transect to the valley floor of the River Becka and up to Hay Tor. Along the way students had to consider various aspects of the landscape for example the impact of swaling (the controlled burning back of vegetation to allow grazing for livestock to grow through) on the open moorland.

The final task involved a decision making exercise on the abandoned granite quarries at Hay Tor. Students had to discuss in small groups what they thought would be an appropriate use for the future and who this would affect.