Graffiti on Yar Tor

I was up around Yar Tor on Saturday afternoon and was horrified to find that some hooligans had graffitied on the tor. I think that it is absolutely disgraceful that these people would de-face rocks that are hundreds of years old with childish scraul. They must have driven there and parked the car and then walked all the way up there to do this which wasnt a random act of vandalism but pre-meditated. I think that this is pretty sad and makes me so cross. Why do people do this? Why cant they leave the beautiful dartmoor countryside alone?......Any views on this and has anybody seen the graffiti before, I was shocked.

It's the mentality of some people unfortunately. We've often come across likely letterbox hiding places only to find broken glass, rusty barbed wire in them, seemingly 'designed' to catch out children etc.

This is terrible! With the job I do I see all Torbay and the surrounding areas and just about every place I visit has graffiti, some vulgar and some not so bad. The kids here do not respect the beautiful areas in which we live in the Westcountry, nor do they respect the adults living within them.

Believe me, I've had quite a few confrontations with these trouble makers but there's not much I can personally do as a Park Ranger due to them being juveniles, take their photo, ask them their names with replies of..............well you can all imagine! I complete a Criminal Damage Report to the Police, but nothing ever happens.

At the end of the day it's still criminal damage whoever the property belongs to and something should be done to prevent this, especially in areas of Dartmoor when you need transport to actually get out there in the first place! Maybe it was a school trip and some kids did this without being noticed by the teacher?

It might be worth notifying the National Trust about this problem. It would be a good idea for someone that is going up that way to take a photo of the graffiti and e-mail it to them.

Dizzy

I'm hoping to get up to that area later this week, if I get chance i'l take a photo of it and email it to the NPA etc.

Boo Boxers wrote:I'm hoping to get up to that area later this week, if I get chance i'l take a photo of it and email it to the NPA etc.

Excellent, thanks for that. Let's hope something will be done about it. We deal with an organisation that deals with young offenders and have to do community service. These people paint graffiti out on walls, fix benches and so on. Hey, there's a prison nearby!

Dizzy

I complete a Criminal Damage Report to the Police

How often have I heard that?
Maybe we need a chief constable who is elected by the people, one who can earn a pension by making the police force more accountable.

I for one an fed up with the half hearted attempts at stopping crime....
No wonder serious crime is on the up - with the Police forces around the country NOT nipping this crime in the bud, they wait until it festers and by then it is far too late.... OK Rant over...

I agree with the above comments This is nothing more than pure vandalism... yet nothing was done about the Graffiti on Vixen Tor - was there?

OK I edited this.... I got Vixen Tor Wrong.... said Fox Tor ...oops

I doubt anything will be done Nik but if it's not reported it can't be actioned against?

Thanks Boo Boxers for offering to take photos of the graffiti. Lets hope that it does some good although the likely hood of catching anyone for these acts are slim. How do you remove graffiti from an area anyway?? I have head that it is realy hard work.

Slow and Steady wrote:How do you remove graffiti from an area anyway?? I have head that it is realy hard work.

Graffiti is removed by various methods depending on the substance used to do the damage and on what surface it is on.

I provide a gel foam graffiti removal spray (ozone friendly), graffiti wipes and a solution to the community service people. Sadly granite is porous and if it's sprayed on then it would be almost impossible to remove from the crevices, even though the worse part would be removed.

Dizzy

Dunno why - it just brought back sad memories of the destruction of Hound Tor

makes you wonder!!! if somebody saw them doing it, you would have an hour to get them in the car park.... crazy
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Weed Bubblers

I totally agree that this sort of behaviour is absolutely disgraceful. However, we shouldn't automatically assume it is "young" people or children - there are other just as horrible people out there as well, sadly, who should know bette.

I hope this doesn't become a habit though. Dartmoor is absolutely beautiful. As someone else said, it is bad enough when you find rubbish and broken glass, etc., in crevices. We don't need spray paint as well.

Welcome to the site Fulchet, I hope you can make a big contribution as all input is appreciated here....

...but I must agree with what you said there...

However, we shouldn't automatically assume it is "young" people or children - there are other just as horrible people out there as well, sadly, who should know better.

Sadly history is full of people like this, no matter what is there for all to see, others will destroy it or steal it so no-one can see it in its true glory.

Like in spring time - where people used to go and pick the primroses there was a huge campaign to protect the plants and stop people digging them up

Thanks for your welcome Nik.

I'm returning to letterboxing after a break of a couple of years and will probably pop in from time to time.

I'm aiming to get my 500 badge this year (which is probably nothing compared to you guys) - i'm just short of 450, so hopefully won't take too long - found 23 today - so a few more weekends, and I should be able to get it at the meet in March.

Good luck on finding your 500th I am sure it wont take you long to get there - If you come up to the pre-meet in Princetown the night before you could pick up about 100 or more - just depends who is there - we were in the Duke of Cornwall last time as the Plume and Railway really didn't want us there

I'm thinking about putting a letterbox out in my back garden - then publishing on here the 10 fig grid reference and nothing more. People would have to be confident before knocking on the door though, that should be somewhere in princetown before the Meet...

Not a good idea - but maybe make it a one day stamp say the night before the meet - but then people would nervous about knocking on the wrong door and your neighbours would be cheesed off when all their flowers have been trampled and gnomes knocked over!