A Cornish Pasty and the Moors

The next morning we took our bus to the county of Cornwall. It is the most southwestern area of Great Britain and is surrounded to the north and west by the Celtic Seas and to the south by the English Channel. 

Here, we visited Land's End where we were treated to a Cornish Pasty, a delicious baked pastry that reminds me of chicken pot pie. The main industry in the 1800's in Cornwall was tin mining. The miners worked long hours and the conditions were
dangerous and filthy. The pasty was filled with meat

and veggies enclosed by a thick layer of pastry, which kept what was inside warm. A crimped section around the edge was used for holding the pasty and discarded after the miners were finished. The discarded piece was meant for the spirits of the tin mines to make them happy. If angered, it was believed that the spirits would transfer arsenic (which was present in the mines) into their food. 

Later that evening we took an excursion into the moors. We had a local storyteller, Gordy, who told us the history of St. Michael's Church and Dartmoor Prison, two attractions you can visit here. He also told us that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle drew his inspiration from the moors to write "The Hound of the Baskervilles."  This excursion was by FAR my favorite. It was Zach's favorite as well and we hope to one day return to the moors. 

Next, we visited Princetown, a small village in Dartmoor National Park. Gordy took us to different sites around Princetown and told us the history of St. Michael's Church. It was built in the early 1800's by American and French prisoners of war, during the American War of 1812 and the Napoleonic War between 1812-1814. These prisoners were held in Dartmoor Prison, not far from the church. This prison is still in use today but also houses a museum. We didn't get a chance to visit but it seems very interesting. 

We did a little more sightseeing before he took us to a local pub for dinner called Prince of Wales. They have a brewery located close by that brews their own ale, Jail Ale, because of Dartmoor Prison. For dinner, we had the Steak and Jail Ale pie. It had mushrooms and onions served with vegetables and fries. For dessert I had the apple crumble served with custard. Zach had an assortment of ice creams. Mine was better!! 

Our little group said goodbye to Gordy and headed back to our hotel in Plymouth. The sun was setting and it got very cold very quickly. Zach and I found it hard to leave. I can hear the moors calling my name...