Urith: A Tale of Dartmoor

In Short

Set on the isolated, storm-swept heights of Dartmoor during the turbulent Monmouth Rebellion, this rural tragedy follows Anthony Cleverdon and the fiercely independent Urith Malvine. Their hasty marriage, driven by stubborn passion and defied parents, quickly sours under the weight of financial ruin, pride, and external malice. As Anthony’s conniving rival, Fox Crymes, plots to steal his inheritance and his cousin Bessie's hand, a web of jealousy and deceit leads to violence, false accusations, and betrayal. Rich in local folklore, regional speech, and vivid descriptions of the English wilderness, the novel endures as a powerful study of human obstinacy set against an unyielding natural landscape.

The Story

On the bleak high moors of Dartmoor stands Devil Tor, an ancient monolith brooding over a landscape of bogs and granite. Across this lonely region, Anthony Cleverdon, the handsome, headstrong son of the wealthy Squire of Hall, falls passionately in love with Urith Malvine. Urith is a proud, fiercely independent moorland girl whose mother deeply opposes the match. Anthony’s father is equally hostile, having suffered through a bitter, loveless marriage himself; he refuses to allow his heir to wed a penniless bride. Driven by stubbornness and mutual desire, Anthony and Urith defy both families and marry.

The backlash is immediate. Old Squire Cleverdon disowns his son, cutting him off without a penny and driving the young couple into bitter hardship. Anthony is forced to move in with Urith’s family at Willsworthy and work under her disreputable, drunken uncle, Solomon Gibbs. Anthony’s pride rebels against this sudden degradation. His frustration grows as he is subjected to the taunts of Fox Crymes, a sinister and vengeful rival who harbors a deep grudge against Anthony for an earlier altercation that left Fox partially blinded.

Fox systematically sets out to destroy Anthony. He spreads rumors to inflame Urith’s jealousy, hinting at an improper intimacy between Anthony and Julian Crymes, Fox's own sister, who secretly pines for Anthony. Meanwhile, Fox schemingly courts Anthony’s gentle, long-suffering sister, Bessie Cleverdon, aiming to marry her, take the Cleverdon name, and claim the estate of Hall for himself.

Tensions boil over when Fox manipulates a series of misunderstandings. Anthony, stung by his fallen status and goaded by Fox, vents his frustrations in Julian's company. When Squire Cleverdon discovers Anthony and Julian in a emotional embrace, he assumes the worst. Fox eagerly brings this news to Urith. Believing her husband has betrayed her, a heartbroken and furious Urith confronts Anthony, casting her torn gloves at his feet and demanding vengeance. In the ensuing chaos, Fox draws a knife and stabs Anthony, leaving him severely wounded before Urith leaps in to stop the attack.

As Anthony recovers, political upheaval sweeps the West Country with the landing of the Duke of Monmouth. Seeking a way out of his personal ruin and inspired by Protestant zeal, Anthony joins the rebel forces. Meanwhile, old Squire Cleverdon, crushed by financial ruin and the betrayal of Fox's schemes, falls into deep despair and attempts to hang himself, saved only at the last moment by his nephew, Luke.

Following the collapse of Monmouth's rebellion, royal forces swarm the region looking for rebels. A troop of soldiers captures Squire Cleverdon, threatening to execute the old man unless Anthony surrenders himself. Hearing of his father's plight, Anthony willingly gives himself up to save the Squire, finally earning his father's cold, tardy respect.

In a final twist of malice and desperation, Fox Crymes attempts to flee with stolen gold, but his own double-dealings catch up with him. Fox is captured by the authorities, who mistake him for Anthony due to Fox's own scheme to adopt the Cleverdon name. Julian uses the stolen gold to buy Anthony’s freedom from the garrison commander. Free at last, Anthony searches for Julian only to discover the church bell tolling: Fox Crymes has been hanged at Lydford Castle in Anthony's place, wearing the gallows rope intended for his rival. Julian vanishes into the mist of Tavy Cleave, while Anthony, reconciled with his father and cleared of treason, returns to the moors to rebuild his broken life with Urith.

How It Unfolds

The runaway on the moor Urith and Anthony traverse the dangerous granite paths of Dartmoor at night, attempting to lead a frightened horse across a swollen stream while pursued by the mocking Fox Crymes.

Tavern politics and old grudges At a local inn, local farmers and miners gather to sing folk ballads and debate politics, while Fox Crymes covertly taunts Anthony about his nighttime secret journeys across the Lyke-Way.

A father's veto Old Squire Cleverdon vehemently refuses to allow Anthony to wed Urith, warning his son that marrying for beauty without wealth will bring the same domestic misery that destroyed his own marriage.

Love in defiance Ignoring both his father's threats and Urith's mother's solemn prohibitions, Anthony woos Urith near the burnt heather of Willsworthy, declaring his passion through traditional songs.

The strike of the blade Goaded into a fury by Fox's lies regarding Anthony’s lingering affection for Julian, Urith demands retaliation, prompting Fox to draw a knife and stab Anthony on his own hearthstone.

The rebellion arrives News reaches the town that the Duke of Monmouth has landed at Lyme, igniting local Protestant fervor and offering Anthony an avenue of escape from his miserable domestic entanglements.

Saved at the pit's edge Desperate over the loss of his estate and the ruin of his family name, Squire Cleverdon attempts self-destruction at an old mine pit, but is rescued just in time by his pious nephew, Luke.

Surrender for a father's neck When royal troopers arrest Squire Cleverdon and threaten to hang him for his son's treason, Anthony surrenders himself to the military commander to take his father's place on the gallows.

Mistaken identity at the gallows Fox Crymes is seized by royal soldiers while attempting to flee, and because he had formally claimed the name of Anthony Cleverdon to steal the estate, he is executed at Lydford Castle in Anthony's stead.

The People

• Anthony Cleverdon: A handsome, headstrong, and wealthy young man whose pride drives him to defy his father. His stubbornness causes his financial downfall, but his inherent nobility shows when he risks his life for his father.
• Urith Malvine: A fierce, passionate moorland woman who loves Anthony deeply but is fiercely jealous and untamed. Her quick temper and stubborn self-reliance lead to tragic misunderstandings with her husband.
• Fox Crymes: A cruel, calculating, and vengeful man who holds a bitter feud against Anthony. Driven by greed and malice, he schemes to strip Anthony of his inheritance and marry his sister.
• Squire Cleverdon: Anthony’s father, a stern, unyielding yeoman obsessed with his family estate and burdened by memories of an unhappy marriage. His cold rigidity drives his children away and nearly brings him to complete ruin.
• Bessie Cleverdon: Anthony’s gentle, patient sister who quietly endures her father's neglect and tries to maintain peace in the family, even when pressured into an unwanted courtship with Fox.
• Julian Crymes: Fox’s half-sister, a proud and tempestuous woman who harbors an unrequited love for Anthony, causing bitter envy that fuels the tragedy around Urith.
• Luke Cleverdon: Anthony’s cousin, a quiet, deeply religious, and self-sacrificing man who secretly loves Urith but acts as a peacemaker and savior for the family.

In Its Own Voice

"In the very heart of Dartmoor, far from human habitation, near two thousand feet above the level of the sea, but with no prospect in the clearest weather on any side upon cultivated land, stands at present, as stood two hundred years ago, and doubtless two thousand before that, a rude granite monolith..."

The opening description establishes the ancient, desolate, and unchanging nature of the moorland setting that shapes the characters.

"Strike--kill him! her voice was hoarse--like that of a man; and she dashed the gloves, torn to shreds by her teeth, against his breast."

Urith's violent outburst illustrates her wild, unbridled nature when consumed by jealousy and deceit.

"Thrice will I say 'Earth to earth!' and then leap down."

Old Squire Cleverdon's grim resolve highlights the despair that consumes the characters when their pride and lands are stripped away.

What It's Really About

Beneath its dramatic plot of romantic rivalry and political rebellion, the novel is a raw examination of human stubbornness and inherited pride. It explores how the unyielding, rigid natures of men and women can mirror the harsh, unforgiving granite of the moorland they inhabit.

The story argues that pride and unwillingness to forgive are far more destructive than external misfortune. Both Squire Cleverdon and his son Anthony possess an inflexible resolve that destroys their domestic peace and alienates those who love them. The narrative also delves into the themes of class, economic anxiety, and generational trauma, showing how a parent's past bitter failures can poison the lives of their children. Ultimately, it poses questions about the nature of justice, demonstrating how malice often orchestrates its own ironic destruction.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate rugged historical fiction, brooding landscapes, and high melodrama will find much to enjoy in this novel. Sabine Baring-Gould captures the atmospheric isolation of seventeenth-century England with remarkable fidelity, imbuing the narrative with authentic Devonshire folk songs, regional speech, and rich topographical detail. The sensation of reading it is akin to walking across a windswept, rain-drenched moor—gloomily dramatic, wild, and immersive.

The book does present a few hurdles for the modern reader. The pace occasionally slows for detailed descriptions of local architecture, folk customs, and historical tangents regarding church restoration or regional history. Additionally, the melodrama can feel intense, with characters driven by extreme, unyielding passions that leave little room for moderate compromise. However, for those who love Victorian regional gothic novels like Wuthering Heights or the Wessex tales of Thomas Hardy, this story offers a compelling, darkly beautiful journey into the wild heart of old Dartmoor.