Editing Princetown (section)

== History ==
In 1780, a farm was reclaimed on the site of an ancient tenement near the Two Bridges, and in 1785, [[Thomas Tyrwhitt (MP)|Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt]] set about improving the moor at a place which he named [[Tor Royal]] (present day Tor Royal Farm), about {{convert|1|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} south-east of Princetown.<ref name=PEV /> The Plume of Feathers Inn also bears this date on its sign. He made an estate and built a house in 1798. Later, the road from [[Tavistock]] to Princetown was built, as well as the other roads that now cross the moor.

[[File:1900 Princetown, Prison Gate.jpg|thumb|left|Photograph of prisoners on a work party at [[Dartmoor (HM Prison)|Dartmoor Prison]] about 1900]]
He also proposed that a prison be built on Dartmoor to house the thousands of captives of the [[Napoleonic Wars]] and the later [[War of 1812]], who had become too numerous to lodge in the prisons and prison-ships at [[Plymouth]]. The site was given by the [[Prince of Wales]], who held the lands of the [[Duchy of Cornwall]] to which the whole moor belonged. This is why the settlement is named Princetown. [[Dartmoor (HM Prison)|Dartmoor Prison]] was built in 1806 at a cost of £130,000. At one time it had a capacity of between 7,000 and 9,000 prisoners, but its operational capacity in 2015 was 660.<ref>{{Cite report|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/421554/prison-population-figures-march-2015.pdf|publisher=UK Government|title=Prison population figures|date=27 March 2015}}</ref>

A small town grew up near the prison. Two large inns were built during the war – the current Prince of Wales and the former Devil's Elbow / Railway Inn (now the Ramblers' Rest Guesthouse). Many of the prisoners had [[prize money]] to come from their own country; many others made their own money in their hammocks at night, even forging [[Bank of England]] and local bank notes, which they passed off in the great daily market held in the prison. With the closing of the prison in 1816, the town almost collapsed, but the completion of the [[Princetown Railway]] in 1823 brought back many people to the granite quarries. The prison remained derelict until 1851, when it was reopened for prisoners serving long sentences. It has since been considerably extended<ref>{{cite book|last=Hoskins|first=William George|author-link=W. G. Hoskins|title=Devon (A New Survey of England)|url=http://www.devon.gov.uk/localstudies/110363/1.html|year=2003|orig-date=Originally published 1954|publisher=Phillimore & Company, Limited|isbn=1-86077-204-8|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302184037/http://www.devon.gov.uk/localstudies/110363/1.html|archive-date=2 March 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> and although other Victorian era prisons are to remain in service,<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 October 2019 |title=Plans to turn Victorian jail sites into homes scrapped |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50143031 |access-date=30 March 2021}}</ref> Dartmoor prison was scheduled to close in 2023,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Freeman |first=Martin |date=25 October 2019 |title=Government confirm Dartmoor Prison will close in 2023 |language=en |work=Plymouth Herald |url=https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/government-confirm-dartmoor-prison-close-3464770 |access-date=30 March 2021}}</ref> but an extension lease was signed to keep it open beyond that date.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-59755473 | title=Dartmoor Prison to stay open 'beyond 2023' | publisher=BBC News | date=22 December 2021 }}</ref> The prison closed temporarily in 2024 for [[radon mitigation]] and investigation works.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dartmoor Prison | website=GOV.UK | date=24 September 2024| url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dartmoor-prison#full-publication-update-history}}</ref>

In the 1880s an Officers' Club building was constructed as a rest room for officers and their families. It was extended during the 1970s and remained in use until closure in 2001, largely because very few prison officers lived in Princetown by that date, but commuted in from [[Plymouth]] or [[Tavistock]] in the main.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon & Dartmoor HER,HER Number MDV117271|url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV117271&resourceID=104 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref>

The terrace of houses now called Moor Crescent was constructed in 1912 as housing for prison officers of fairly senior rank, in which role it served until the 1980s. After falling into near-derelict condition, it was renovated and is now private housing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon & Dartmoor HER, HER Number MDV117268 |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV117268&resourceID=104 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> Hessary Terrace, which backs onto Moor Crescent, was also constructed as housing for prison officers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon & Dartmoor HER, HER Number MDV114803 |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV114803&resourceID=104 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref> as was Heather Terrace.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon & Dartmoor HER, HER Number MDV117267 |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV117267&resourceID=104 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref>

There is a sports field, now used by Princetown Football Club and known as Legend Park,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Princetown Legend Park, Princetown PL20 |url=https://www.fchd.info/grounds/princetown.htm |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=fchd.info}}</ref> which formerly belonged to the prison. The sports field and pavilion (now Princetown Pavilion Youth Club) date from the 1890s and were constructed for use by the prison warders. A tennis pavilion was laid out in the 1920s as a base for the tennis court for officers and their families. It was demolished in the 1960s due to its poor state. The bowling green and pavilion were built around the turn of the century and visiting teams of prison staff played matches on many occasions. This was also demolished in the 1960s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devon & Dartmoor HER, HER Number MDV51416 |url=https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MDV51416&resourceID=104 |access-date=30 March 2021 |website=heritagegateway.org.uk}}</ref>