A CONSERVATION group is planning to buy one of Dartmoor's rugged peaks as a permanent memorial to Lady Sylvia Sayer who died earlier this year.
The Dartmoor Preservation Association is on the lookout for a hill — preferably a tor — characterised by a rocky summit that is easily accessible and has a good view.
It will commemorate the life of Lady Sayer, a former patron and chairman of the association, who died in January, aged 95.
DPA chief executive John Bainbridge said: 'We feel the summit of a Dartmoor hill top would be the best memorial for Sylvia Sayer, who devoted much of her life to keeping Dartmoor wild and free.
'We wanted something a bit more imaginative than a plaque on a wall. A hill top on wild Dartmoor would signify everything that Sylvia Sayer stood for.'
The DPA has launched an appeal for funds to buy an appropriate hill-top.
'Some money has already been contributed by members of the DPA and the public in commemoration of Lady Sayer's life. We will be asking all who care for Dartmoor to add to the sum we already have. This will be a memorial for future generations to enjoy,' he said.
Lady Sayer was also involved with the Devon Ramblers' Association and the Council for National Parks.
The DPA is planning to ask their members to contribute as well.
Mr Bainbridge said one or two hill-tops came on the market every year, and the DPA already owns Sharpitor, a wartime RAF radar station, and several other tracts of land.
'There's not a lot a landowner can do with one, so the value is not that great, perhaps several thousand pounds,' he said. 'What we want to do is dedicate it to everyone so they can all feel they own a bit of Dartmoor as well.'
Lady Sayer's book Wild Country, an impassioned plea to safeguard wild countryside such as Dartmoor, will be republished in July. All profits will go to the memorial fund.
Donations can be sent to the Dartmoor Preservation Association at the Old Duchy Hotel in Princetown.