Artisans of Dartmoor - Book - Page 5
S
UZY BENNETT has been captivated by Dartmoor’s heritage craft scene ever since she
visited her local blacksmith, Greg Abel, in his Victorian forge to commission a curtain
rail for an awkwardly angled wall. “It was like entering a time warp that was completely
unaffected by the modern world,” she recalls. Greg introduced Suzy to the village potter,
who introduced her to the weaver, who introduced her to the woodturner. Suzy soon
realised that her little pocket of the moor, between Ashburton and Chagford, was one of
the most creatively rich areas of Britain, where the craft scene grows each year. To help
champion and preserve the moor’s heritage skills, in 2017, Suzy founded The Dartmoor
Artisan Trail, a not-for-profit community project that gives visitors the chance to visit
members in their workshops and try their hand at traditional crafts. There are several
members in this book – look out for the stamp on their pages. As Suzy met more and more
inspiring craftspeople, she used her skills as a national journalist and photographer to
document their working lives. Artisans of Dartmoor is the result. Suzy apologises for the
number of dogs in this book. “A more accurate title might’ve been Dogs of Dartmoor and their
Artisan Owners!” she jokes.
