THE STORY BEHIND THE DARTMOOR ARTISAN TRAIL
Behind Dartmoor's ancient granite walls, in converted barns, old forges and tucked-away studios, a remarkable creative revival is taking place. A new generation of makers is breathing fresh life into traditional crafts, from blacksmithing and basketry to weaving, pottery and woodturning, often drawing inspiration and raw materials from the landscape around them.
Founded in 2017 by Dartmoor-based travel writer and photographer Suzy Bennett, the Dartmoor Artisan Trail was created to celebrate this thriving creative community and help preserve the region's rich craft heritage.
What began as a photographic exhibition documenting the working lives of local artisans soon evolved into an award-winning, not-for-profit tourism initiative, opening up a world usually hidden behind workshop doors.
Today, the trail invites visitors to meet some of Dartmoor's most talented makers, watch age-old skills in action and try their hand at traditional crafts. Visitors can explore independently on a self-guided trail or enjoy a bespoke, privately guided experience.
At its heart is a simple idea: to connect people with the makers behind the things we use, celebrate the value of handmade craftsmanship and help sustain traditional skills for future generations.
AN AWARD-WINNING PROJECT
The Dartmoor Artisan Trail has attracted national recognition, winning Best UK & Ireland Tourism Project at the British Guild of Travel Writers' 2017 Tourism Awards. Suzy was subsequently honoured with the Heritage Crafts/Marsh Volunteer Award in recognition of her contribution to supporting traditional crafts.
The trail has featured on BBC's Countryfile and in The Guardian, Lonely Planet Magazine and The Daily Telegraph, which named it one of the UK's best travel experiences.
FROM TRAIL TO BOOK
The project has since inspired Artisans of Dartmoor, a beautifully produced photographic book by Suzy Bennett, published in 2025.
Featuring atmospheric portraits and intimate interviews with 16 extraordinary craftspeople, the book explores the skills, philosophies and personal stories behind Dartmoor's flourishing creative community. It is a celebration of the local and original, the ethical and sustainable, the handmade and human.
Designed and printed locally in Devon, the book was shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 British Book Design & Production Awards in the Self-Published Books category.
The limited print run of just 750 copies has proved a great success, with the standard edition now sold out and only a handful of signed collector's editions remaining.
Together, the trail and the book offer a rare insight into one of Britain's most vibrant craft communities – and the people keeping its traditions alive.
ABOUT SUZY
Suzy Bennett is an award-winning travel journalist and photographer specialising in responsible tourism, with a particular passion for documenting Britain's finest craftspeople, their traditions and the stories behind their work. A regular contributor to the national press, she lives in the Dartmoor village of North Bovey.
Suzy's fascination with Dartmoor's heritage crafts began with a visit to her local blacksmith, Greg Abel, in his Victorian forge, where she had gone to commission a curtain rail for an awkwardly angled wall. "It was like entering a time warp, completely unaffected by the modern world," she recalls.
Greg introduced her to the village potter, who introduced her to the weaver, who introduced her to the woodturner. One introduction led to another, and Suzy soon discovered that her little corner of Dartmoor, between Ashburton and Chagford, was home to an extraordinary concentration of creative talent.
Through her work as a journalist and photographer profiling makers for the national press, she became increasingly fascinated by Dartmoor's flourishing craft community and the deep connections between its artisans, their materials and the surrounding landscape.
"Traditional skills are disappearing in many parts of Britain, yet on Dartmoor the craft scene is thriving. I think it's down to a wonderful combination of factors: the moor's wild, expansive landscapes, which encourage independence and creativity; an abundance of natural materials; and an unusually supportive community of makers who share their knowledge and champion one another."
Determined to celebrate this creative community and help safeguard its heritage skills, Suzy founded the Dartmoor Artisan Trail in 2017. The award-winning, not-for-profit initiative opens the doors of local workshops, inviting visitors to meet the makers, discover their crafts and try their hand at traditional skills.
As the trail grew, Suzy continued photographing and documenting the working lives of Dartmoor's craftspeople, building up an intimate portrait of a remarkable creative community. Her work culminated in Artisans of Dartmoor, a beautifully illustrated book published in July 2025, celebrating the people, skills and landscape at the heart of the moor's craft revival.