A moor is an area of open land in southern England, most often found in the counties of Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. It is covered in heather and is home to many wild animals. Much like a desert, a moor has very few inhabitants because the soil is too poor to sustain life. There are also no cities on a moor. People who live on a moor are usually farmers or shepherds.
The word “moor” comes from an old English word meaning “heath.” In the 1800’s, there were many moors in England. The most famous was Dartmoor. Dartmoor was once used as a prison. There were reports that the prisoners who were kept there would mysteriously disappear. The prisoners said that they had seen a ghostly white dog on the moor and that they believed the dog had something to do with their disappearance. This story is one of the inspirations for Conan Doyle’s novel, “The Hound of the Baskervilles.”
Hound of the Baskervilles is a famous mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1902. It stars Sherlock Holmes as he tries to solve the mystery of the hound, who kills Sir Charles Baskerville on a lonely moor near Baskerville Hall. A hound is similar to a bloodhound, but it is not trained for tracking criminals or finding missing people. In this story the hound comes from hell and it’s on earth to kill those who have sinned. The author creates suspense by saying that anyone who sees the dog will die within 3 days.
