A NEW granite clapper bridge over the Becka Brook is thought to be the first to have been installed on open moorland for at least half a century.

The work was carried out by Ashburton mason Dave Hannaford, known by many as Mr Dartmoor, who cut the one-and-a-half ton block from moorstone on nearby Holwell Down.

Using the traditional feather and tare method, he split a giant boulder to obtain the 10ft piece he needed, then had that taken the last quarter of a mile on a digger.

How he managed to place it over the stream, however, remains a mystery.

'I've got my means, I always say that's for me to know and you to find out,' he said.

'I carry out a lot of work on the moors and hopefully that will go on adinfinitum with my name ­coming up again and again.'

Speaking about his relationship with the moor Mr Hannaford said: 'I love the place, it's part of me, I'd rather be up here working than any of the soft places.'

The £2,500 project, which included a new section of drystone wall and gate on the footpath between Haytor and Houndtor Down, needed the permission of the South Devon Pony Club from whose land the granite was taken.

It also required planning permission and was paid for by HF Holidays with help from the Moorland Ramblers group.

Although construction took just a matter of days the scheme was five years in the making.

Dartmoor National Park Authority Head Ranger Rob Steemson said: 'This gives a safe crossing now for the Becka Brook which does rise quite fast.

'We were approached by HF Holidays who bought the Moorland Hotel at Haytor wanting to put something back as they lead walking holidays and straddle the stream quite a bit. Then the Moorland Ramblers group also said they'd like to put some money in so they paid for the planning application.

'We're very pleased and happy with the results, Dave's done a marvellous job. The national park's budget is getting ever more squeezed, so we're often appealing to the private and public sector to work in partnership with us or, as in this case, to sponsor projects we no longer have the luxury of being able to afford.

'Originally there was talk about a wooden bridge but it probably wouldn't have got planning permission anyway. Now it's in, it looks like it's always been there and that's exactly as I wanted it.'