Dry Drayton Letterboxing
What is Letterboxing?
Letterboxing is a hobby combining aspects of treasure hunting, orienteering, country walking and rubber stamping.
Letterboxing traces its origins to 19th Century Dartmoor, an isolated inhospitable place visited by walkers and naturalists. One walker left a bottle on the moor containing business cards - which could be found by others to show that they had indeed visited the same wild place. Over time others started to leave postcards to be found and posted on by later visitors. In recent years this has developed to the hiding of a "letterbox" containing a notebook and a rubber stamp (usually a unique or handcarved stamp). Clues are left enabling others to come along and find the hidden letterbox. To prove that the finder has visited the letterbox, the finder can stamp his or her own notebook using the rubber stamp from the letterbox. The finder can write something appropriate in the notebook in the letterbox, stamping it with their own personal stamp, and put the box and its contents back into hiding for others to find. Today, literally thousands of letterboxes are hidden on Dartmoor every year, and finding these has become a national pastime. Letterboxing has also spread to North America and other places in the United Kingdom.
Why Dry Drayton?
As the centre of the Universe - wouldn't you expect to find Letterboxing here?
What do I need to get started?
The equipment you will need for letterboxing is fairly minimal. In addition to outdoor clothing you will need:
- An OS Map to follow the clues.
- Your own rubber stamp, to stamp in the notebooks in any Letterboxes you find.
- A notebook, into which you will stamp using the rubber stamp you find in the Letterbox. (or you could use in the field instead some blank index cards which you can later arrange in an album at your leisure)
- An ink pad to use with these rubber stamps.
- A pen to write in the notebooks
Where Else can I go Letterboxing?
There are a few other letterboxes nearby. See the Clues Page for details.
Where Can I Find Out More About Letterboxing?
Off Dartmoor Letterboxing in the UK - Dartmoor Bounders
And more about rubber stamping, especially hand carved rubber stamps
And if you want your design making into a rubber stamp - use the superb Cambridge Rubber Stamps, Victoria Road Cambridge.
Your Safety and Care of the Countryside
Leave only footprints, take only photos
Follow The Country Code
Guard against all risk of Fire
Fasten All gates after use
Keep your dog on a lead or under close control
Keep to paths across Farmland
Avoid Damaging fences, hedges and walls
Leave no litter
Safeguard water supplies
Protect wildlife, wild plants and trees
Go carefully on country roads
Respect the life of the Countryside
Please take care when looking for Letterboxes - there are hazards in the countryside, such as brambles, barbed wire, sharp branches and nettles.
Please replace the box (and any covering stones, ivy, grass etc) exactly
as you found it.
Lead Me To It - Where are the Clues?
Starting point for one of the Dry Drayton clues.