The village of Lustleigh lies on Dartmoor’s eastern fringe, where open moorland meets wooded hills and patchwork fields. The thirteenth century church of St.John the Baptist stands on a rise in the centre of the village and overlooks the village green and its cluster of thatched cottages. A Village Stores, a Post Office and a Tea Room serve the needs of visitors and community as does the fifteenth century pub, ”The Cleave”, with its wisteria-clad walls and charming English flower garden. On a summers evening the players from the adjacent cricket field congregate here to refresh themselves and discuss the finer points of the match.

A five-minute walk from the centre of Lustleigh, past the cricket field and over a small clapper bridge, will bring you to the ancient hamlet of Wreyland, a “village within a village”. Here there are more exquisite thatched cottages, dating back to the fourteenth century, and more delightful cottage gardens. This ancient manor was owned by the Torr family in the nineteenth century and an account of life in the area during this time can be read in “Small Talk at Wreyland” written by Cecil Torr using material from his grandfather s and fathers diaries.

Cecil Torr also revived Lustleigh’s May Day ceremony. Each year a May Queen is chosen from among the village girls and she presides over the festivities which are held on the first weekend in May. There is a procession around the village finishing up at the Church steps where the Queen is officially crowned—no pagan ceremony this! In the Town Orchard, itself resplendent in apple blossom and bright primroses, the Queen holds court over the Maypole dancing, music and games that follow. Rustic musicians, silver bands and Morris Men all play their part while tea and cakes are consumed all day in the Village Hall.

Another great tradition is the August Bank Holiday Show which combines a Flower and Vegetable show with a Horse Show and Gymkhana, as well as many other attractions. It is a great family day out with lots of fun and entertainment.

Besides the delightful walks around the village, Lustleighs great claim to fame is the Cleave, a geographical feature on the eastern edge of the parish. It is a “cliff” or “cleft” in the landscape, and walkers may enjoy the splendid views to the moor from the ridge or the lazy bubble of the River Bovey as it flows along the wooded valley bottom. Walks can take from 1 hour or the whole day, with ever-changing scenery and fascinating wildlife: deer, rare butterflies and the pretty river bird, the dipper. Walking on Lustleigh Cleave is wonderful at all times of the year but it must be said that the most remarkable sight is that in early June when the slopes are covered in masses of bluebells and foxgloves.