Electricity had arrived: the Devon Tors, declared it had 'electric light' and the Rock Hotel had been 'restored and enlarged' with 'electric light throughout'.

These are some of the fascinating insights into local life in 1920 which have come to light in a rare book.

A copy of the Homeland Handbooks guide to Yelverton was found by Dousland resident Mrs C Gibbs, who kindly passed it to the Times office.

Advertisements in the book are perhaps the most revealing items.

On the lavatorial front, Glen View at Clearbrook, Traquair at Crapstone and Beechfield House were proud, variously, of their 'indoor sanitation and bath, h & c' and 'modern sanitation'.

Visitors were advised that 'for the most part the district is supplied from Burrator Reservoir and everywhere the supply is plentiful and good'.

Fernleigh private hotel at Greenbank was referred to as 'the moorland health resort', but not for all, evidently — 'tuberculosis cases not taken', it firmly stated.

And under a chapter headed 'Yelverton as a health resort and place of permanent residence', the area is stated to have 'bracing air, giving to the tired worker a new sense of life'. It was described as having 'day after day of brilliant, uninterrupted sunshine' — and that was in November!

It was a desirable resort, especially for 'such as suffer from jaded nerves, complaints of the throat and chest, overwrought hearts and general weariness'. Men and women were said to have come to Yelverton 'haggard and weary' and gained vigour and courage to be ready for 'another onset in the stern and inevitable battle of life'.

A wide variety of goods could be purchased. For heating or garden needs, Vodden & Johns of Horrabridge supplied coal, coke and manure. For the more affluent, at L Frise you could buy servants' dresses from 15/11d and ladies' blouses from 3/11d.

G Harris and W A Bidder were 'purveyors of only the best English meat and poultry', the former with all meat of their 'own killing'. Rather appealingly, G Harris stated 'a trial is respectfully solicited'.

Fishing, hunting and golf were much-advertised pursuits for the area, with 'sporting and other rifle ammunition' available at the Garage and Stores. As well as the Dartmoor and Lamerton Foxhounds, there were also the Dartmoor Otter Hounds and the Sperling Harriers.

To encourage visitors to the area it was pointed out that the GW or L&SW train journey from London to Plymouth took four-and-a -half hours, and the GW Plymouth - Launceston line served Yelverton. The Devon Tors was 'only seven minutes from the GW railway'; the Carisbrooke ten minutes.

The motor car had made its mark and Yelverton Garage and Stores, as well as supplying 'any make of car, motor cycle or cycle', gave driving tuition and paid 'special attention to repairs of all description'. They also carried out vulcanising by H F process and stocked 'British Benzol and methylated spirit'. Motor cars were on hire at the Rock Hotel.

Horses, however, were still very much in evidence, with several hotels and boarding houses advertising stabling. William May, the carriage proprietor, hired out landaus, Victorias and wagonettes by the hour or day and arranged drives 'to all places of interest'. The Rock also had 'posting and hunters'.

Westella Posting Stables — where Walter Priest was 'jobmaster' — claimed 'orders by post, wire or telephone promptly attended to'. His phone number was Yelverton 5 in those far-off, simple, early telephone days. There were three postal collections in the area per day and two deliveries.

The delights of Buckland Monachorum and Buckland Abbey are detailed — at that time the abbey was still in the hands of the Drake family and was not open to the public.

The handbook gives brief details of most villages and beauty spots in the area and Plymouth, Tavistock and Princetown have their history summarised in lyrical fashion. The train from Yelverton to Princetown ended at the 'highest railway station in England'.

If the intrepid walker ever survived this brush with nature, he could return to the handbook for yet more information in the form of a list of private residents, a business directory, local farms — and a telephone directory for the area with all 41 people who had invested in that method of communication — including the doctor, golf club and local constabulary.

A great little read, but unfortunately not available today from your local newsagent — a car boot sale, where Mrs C Gibbs found this copy, might be a better bet!

l Yelverton (Devon) with its surroundings, by Edward Francis and Bernard Thomas, published by The Homeland Handbooks, price 9d. Volume 89 on cover, 88 inside.