Two major projects to bury overhead power cables have been completed on Dartmoor, removing about 6km of lines from the National Park landscape.

The schemes on Holne Moor and Walkhampton Common were a joint project between Western Power Distribution, the South West Protected Landscapes Forum and Dartmoor National Park Authority.

At nearly 5km, the Walkhampton project is the largest to be undertaken in the South West region by Western Power Distribution. The old overhead line was readily visible from the B3212 Princetown to Yelverton Road, strung across Walkhampton Common from Devil's Elbow to just above Horseyeatt at Peek Hill. The new underground supply was mainly routed on the road to minimise the impact on the sensitive moorland landscape, its archaeology, wildlife and livestock.

'This is such good news for Dartmoor and for all those who want to get away from it all and enjoy a sense of wilderness and timelessness in a nationally recognised iconic landscape' said Jo Rumble, Communities Officer for the Dartmoor National Park Authority 

'The Walkhampton Common scheme was identified by the Dartmoor National Park Authority in the early 1980's as a clear priority for Dartmoor. The removal of this length of line that stretched across archaeologically rich, sweeping open moorland has been an aspiration for some considerable time and our thanks must go to WPD for not only enabling it to be realised but also to undertaking the works in such a sensitive way.'