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WHITEWORKS
Whiteworks
is one of the most isolated places where Drake H3 run, lying
in open moorland at the end of a single track road from Princetown.
It was once a tin mining area, being named after the high grade
'white' tin which was produced after the ore was processed. Even
though the tin mining industry in Devon died out many years ago,
Plymouth's Union Street is still famous for its ores.
Near to Whiteworks lies Foxtor Mire, which is said
to be the most dangerous bog on Dartmoor. It was immortalised
as the "Great Grimpen Mire" in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes story 'The Hound Of The Baskervilles'. This was
where Holmes & Watson had their final fateful encounter with
the Hound. (Drake H3 hares often have fateful encounters with
hounds, but that's another story).
A
local farmer met a walker near Whiteworks and they got to talking.
"Where be you agoing to?" asked the farmer. "Well,
my next stop is Foxtor Mire" came the reply. The farmer
looked shocked "Id'll do 'ee no good going there" he
said, "that be the worst bloody bog in Debon" The walker
looked sceptical. "Take moi word" said the farmer,
"I pulled a bloke out of the deepest bit o' that bog last
week, right up to his chin in it 'ee wuz" The walker looked
mildly amused "How tall was he?" he asked. The farmer
thought for a moment,"Well, 'ee wuz pretty short, 'ee coodn't
ave been more than four foot eight" he replied. Greatly
amused, the walker said "That doesn't sound like a very
deep bog to me, but I bet he was glad to get out". "Yes"
said the farmer "and so wuz the horse 'ee wuz sitting on".
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