PRINCE Charles declined the offer of shearing a sheep during his visit to one of his farm tenants on Dartmoor on Monday, writes Alison Stephenson.

The Prince was visiting the Duchy of Cornwall-owned farm Tor Royal at Princetown where sheep shearers Adrian Cole, 21 and William Colton,16, showed off their skills to the very impressed prince who said it must be 'back breaking work'.

The farm visit, where the Prince was also shown some Dartmoor ponies, was followed by a reception at the High Moorland Visitors' Centre to mark the 60th anniversary of Dartmoor's designation as a national park.

Tor Royal tenants David and Justine Colton were meeting the Duke of Cornwall for the second time since they took over the tenancy two years ago.

Work is currently underway to renovate the farmhouse, which according to Mr Colton, Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson once stayed in, and will provide bed and breakfast accommodation to add another dimension to the farm business.

Justine Colton, an NVQ assessor for the Duchy College and who provides apprentice training for the Moor Skills Project, said Prince Charles was very interested in the countryside and young people.

'We have had 31 applicants this year for Moor Skills apprenticeships, said Mrs Colton. 'It is great to get media coverage of the countryside and this is something that has improved over the last few years.'

David Colton discussed the price of beef with Prince Charles and they talked about how some of the supermarkets were now helping farmers by paying a premium for cuts of native breeds like the Aberdeen Angus.

'We also talked about 20% increase in wool and how things are looking better for farmers at the moment,' he said

At the High Moorland Visitors' Centre the Duke unveiled a recently discovered granite cross and met with the group of walkers who made the discovery on Duchy of Cornwall owned land near Lydford.

The cross, believed to be early medieval, will be on display in the centre until September when it will be returned to the moor.

The 62-year-old Prince said to staff and members of the national park: 'I do hope you have a very happy 60th birthday. I am getting rather worried that I am older than the national park.'

Among the local figures to welcome the Prince were the mayor and mayoress of West Devon, Donald and Mary Horn and Princetown parish councillors.

Joyce Hall and her grandchildren Layla and Xena Armstrong from Tavistock joined the crowd to greet Prince Charles: 'We waited an hour and a half to see him and the children got off school early to come down. I am very much a royalist and remember the Queen getting married,' she said.

Building maintenance worker with the Duchy of Cornwall for 48 years Leslie Cribbett, 80, shook hands with the Prince: 'I live here in Princetown and have met him many times, once at Highgrove,' he said.

Niece of the mayor of West Devon, Kathryn Phillips and her daughter Bethany, were visiting from Australia and talked to the Prince about the school in Victoria where the Prince was educated.