Duchy Hotel

My father was the accountant at the Dutchy Hotel later to become the Officers' Mess. He started as a prison warden (blue shirt) then a prison officer (white shirt). I remember going there for Sunday lunches. Joe was in charge of the kitchens and the trustees. Also remember the end wall was always beautifully painted. Spent a week there with my father when I broke my leg and got one of the cons in trouble as we spent so much time playing darts and crib.

I had the miss-fortune to have spent a "holiday" at Dartmoor Prison, I had worked and claimed benefits hardly the crime of the century, however whilst at Dartmoor I had the good fortune to be sent to work at the Duchy Hotel (officers mess then) I learned a lot of its history, did my work and Joe
was in charge,although he was a prison officer he became a great friend to me and so did his family, I was saddened to hear of his death in the late 1990's, but I still have a keen interest in Dartmoor, its prison and its legends and whatever they call The Duchy Hotel it still brings good memories back for me, although I was serving time working at the Duchy was like working in a normal job, but it also brought new interests into my life Dartmoor, its not the place many think it is, people think it is an awful place how wrong they are Dartmoor is a lovely place nice countryside. history folklore and legends