Dartmoor Avenue

Dartmoor Avenue is closely linked with nearby Dorset Avenue. Edward Dorset, an early settler, owned a block of land in Westown known as Dartmoor and named after the moorland in south Devon.

Following the death of Edward Dorset in 1887, a rather messy court case played out in the New Plymouth District Court. The plaintiffs were Dorset's heirs, his nephews, New Plymouth merchants, Frederick and William Webster. The defendant was butcher, James Rossiter, who had occupied 4 hectares at Dartmoor since 1863.

In dispute were unpaid rental and the ownership of the land. Instead of rent, Rossiter had paid with "goods" from his business. He also claimed ownership of the land as a result of an alleged agreement between himself and Dorset.

Once the case was settled in favour of Dorset's nephews, the block was leased out for grazing, and the occasional horse race. In June 1890, the Taranaki Herald reported that many spectators flocked to the "Dartmoor paddock" for the running of the Westown Steeplechase.

The Websters eventually sold the land to a syndicate of Whanganui developers. In 1909 sections in the Dartmoor Estate were advertised for sale, with prices ranging from £56 to £136.

In the advertisements Westown was generously described as the, "Healthiest, Brightest, Sunniest and Most Invigorating Locality around New Plymouth". Dartmoor Avenue was one of several streets formed as part of this ambitious Westown development.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.

Related plans:

Town of Dartmoor Extension No.1 DP2558, ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)

Part of Dartmoor Extension No.1 DP2765, ICS Pre 300,000 Cadastral Plan Index (Imaged by LINZ)