Bodmin Moor was so named in 1813 by Ordnance Survey, prior to this these bleak and inhospitable moors were referred to as Fowey Moor, presumably after the River Fowey.

Located in North East Cornwall, the granite moorland covers some eighty miles and has long been the setting of many tales, legends and mysteries. Once such legend and arguably the most well known, is the one surrounding King Arthur, Excalibur and the Lady Of The Lake. The lake some believe, relates to Dozmary Pool, a small lake found on Bodmin Moor approximately 10 miles from the coast.

Back in the mists of time, the moors would have been completely forested; it was around 10,000BC that people began to clear areas for farming purposes. Animals have been grazed on the moors during the summer months for over 1,000 years and the ponies have been an integral part of livestock management for many years.