Haytor, Moorland Hotel Fire 1970

Hello David,
I enjoyed your memories of the Moorland Hotel. I am in the early stages of writing a book on Haytor and Haytor Vale and I would like to include a significant piece on the hotel. I appreciate any help and intend to thank and acknowledge contributors in the final publication. There isn't much information about the fire in 1970 and I would like to know if anyone knew how it started and in what part of the building and how much was the overall damage. I will try to get hold of some photos if I can. Are you able to fill me in with any information? Best wishes, Harvey

Dear Harvey.
I never heard from you in reply to my message, which I sent last December and wondered what is happening. Yours, David.

I am one of four daughters of David Smith. I lived with my family at the Moorland hotel from 1967 until the fatal fire which devastated our lives. My whole family last visited Devon together in 1981 so this December (2021) will be 40 years since I personally stepped on the land that was my childhood home. In anticipation of my visit, I am gathering information from my family. From my recollection as a five-year-old at the time, the first I heard of the fire was my mother waking us up at midnight 06/03/70. I wasn’t allowed to go back for my favourite two childhood toys one being a stuffed owl called Owlie and the other being a giant stuffed mouse called Enormouse. Fortunately everyone survive the fire including our Newfoundland dog called Regina. It did however leave us without a home and what ended up being a serious downturn in fortune. I’ve recall my father saying the fire started in the loft and it was electrical. The accommodation/apartment we lived in was completely destroyed. The main building survived but the hotel was left abandoned for over 10 years before it was rebuilt. I hear from my sister that the old swimming pool there is now a pond. My memories are of the tennis courts where we used to race on our bouncy balls, the rockery in front of the newer block that was destroyed, the stables next door to the hotel, the Wendy House, orchard, woodland path leading to meadows where we would ride bareback. I live now with my own family in Lincolnshire and we have created a miniature Moorland experience. In that we keep American miniature show horses on our grounds which include a meadow, large pond, woodland areas, ménage , stable block and annexe. The Annex is being converted to an Airbnb which we hope to open in the New Year 2022. The smell of the upstairs of the barn/Annex reminds me of the stable barn at the Moorland. Finally I will become a host of my own.

Well done my daughter Teresa for this addition to the story.