Dartmoor is a rocky plateau in the county of Devon in southwestern England. Dartmoor has many craggy granite peaks, called tors. The loftiest tor, High Willhays, rises to a height of 2,037 feet (621 meters). In 1951, the Dartmoor area became a national park covering 368 square miles (954 square kilometers). It is the largest and highest plateau in southern England. Dartmoor National Park contains many hiking, bicycle, and horse riding trails, as well as small towns, markets, farms, ancient monuments, and archaeological sites.
The area is famous for its wild Dartmoor ponies as well as a wide variety of plant and animal life. Long-wooled Dartmoor sheep are descended from sheep that have grazed the moorland since prehistoric times. More than 30,000 people live and work in Dartmoor.
Princetown, the highest town on the moor, is home to Dartmoor Prison. The prison opened in 1809 to house prisoners of war. Since its conversion to a civilian prison in 1850, Dartmoor has held some of the most dangerous and notorious English criminals.
