Wild Man: Martin Maudsley at Moor Barton Wilding

Dartmoor Storytellers and Moor Barton Wilding present

Wild Man by Martin Maudsley

Martin Maudsley offers a double-bill of stirring stories rooted in North European mythology and percolated through the rich imagery of oral storytelling. From the deep, dark woods of Grimms’ tales to the cold, airy mountains of Norse legend: two tales of two young men on two twisting journeys through the wild places of the world to face their fate – and find the wildness within themselves… A carefully crafted performance of spoken words and vivid images, exploring adolescence, desire and destiny, as well as our deep-rooted relationship with the natural world.

“The themes of flight, freedom and a sense of the wild resonate strongly in this fine retelling where confinement, and perhaps even civilisation, mean death.” Bristol Evening Post.

After a previous career in environmental science, Martin Maudsley has been a professional storyteller for over twenty years. Based in rural Dorset, he works widely in schools, festivals and theatres offering fresh retellings of traditional tales, as well as creative storytelling projects for national organisations. He has recently toured as a professional storyteller in China, South Korea and Taiwan. Martin has a particular passion for stories that connect people with place and the natural world, and until recently was storyteller-in-residence for environmental arts charity Common Ground. His first book Telling the Seasons was published in 2022 and his children’s folklore book Monsterlogica is out later this year.

This is the second of a series of Wild Stories events on Dartmoor in the summer of 2026: we aim to showcase amazing storytelling in extraordinary places. It is hosted jointly by Dartmoor Storytellers and Moor Barton Wilding.

Age suitability 16+. No dogs please. If you need to bring an assistance dog please let us know beforehand.

This event will be in the woods, held outdoors around the fire under the shelter of White Deer Lodge at Moor Barton. Come prepared for the outdoors with suitable clothing and footwear. Refreshments will be available, and there are compost toilets. You can park nearby; there is a short walk to the venue, with an earth path which can be uneven underfoot.

Details of how to get to the site, and what to bring, will be sent through to all ticket holders near to the date of the event.

Moor Barton Wilding CIC is a 120 acre project on the north east shoulder of Dartmoor dedicated to rewilding land and people. The land is made up of a mosaic of ecologically rich habitats - including wood pasture, hazel coppice, transitional edge and wildflower glades, closed canopy woodland, wetland, veteran trees and conifer woodland - and is a key site on Dartmoor for species reintroduction. Believing that humans are part of nature with a key role to play in restoring our ecological systems, Moor Barton engages communities near and far, offering many opportunities to learn about and get involved in different aspects of rewilding. https://www.moorbarton.org/