Letterboxing
BRITISH OUTDOOR TREASURE-HUNTING TRADITION originated DARTMOOR (Devon, England) 1854 by James Perrott. Participants follow CLUES (published in books or magazines) to find hidden BOXES containing a RUBBER STAMP + LOGBOOK. Signature: STAMPING one's PERSONAL STAMP into the box's logbook + the box's stamp into one's PERSONAL LOGBOOK — collecting stamps. PRECURSOR to modern GEOCACHING (which added GPS). Now DARTMOOR has 30,000+ letterboxes; 100-CLUB (find 100+ boxes on Dartmoor) is celebrated status. American revival 1998 (Smithsonian article).
Quick facts
Category
Escape & Immersive
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~240 min
Where played
outdoor
Country of origin
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Estimated origin
1854 Dartmoor by James Perrott (guide who placed bottle at Cranmere Pool for calling cards); modern letterboxing since ~1970s; American revival 1998 Smithsonian Magazine article
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Find hidden letterboxes using clues + stamp both logbooks.
Rules
Basic rules
CLUES published in books/catalogues describe location via landmarks + compass bearings
Signature clue format.
PARTICIPANTS hike to location, find HIDDEN BOX (often in rock crevice, wall, or under stone)
Signature hiding spots.
BOX contains RUBBER STAMP + LOGBOOK + INK PAD
Signature box contents.
STAMP: put box's stamp in your logbook + your stamp in box's logbook
Signature dual-stamping.
REPLACE box exactly as found — leave no trace
Signature leave-no-trace.
'100 CLUB' Dartmoor tradition: find 100+ boxes = certificate + membership
Signature 100 Club.
'LETTERBOX HYBRIDS' now placed alongside geocaches (dual find)
Signature modern hybrids.
Scoring
Non-competitive; personal collection of stamps in logbook.
Win condition · Personal accomplishment; 100 Club membership after 100 finds.
Equipment
Personal rubber stamp (hand-carved individual design)
Signature personal stamp
Personal ink pad + logbook
Signature logbook
Clue book / catalogue (Dartmoor 100 Club catalogue, Letterboxing on Dartmoor)
Signature clue source
Compass + OS Map + hiking gear (Dartmoor is wild moorland)
Signature navigation kit
Terminology
- 100 Club
- Elite Dartmoor group of finders with 100+ boxes.
- Placer
- Person who hides a letterbox.
- Hitchhiker
- Traveling stamp that moves box-to-box.
- PFX / TB
- Personal find count / trackables (borrowed from geocaching).
- Cranmere Pool
- Original site of first Dartmoor letterbox 1854.
Where it is played
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Letterboxing— Wikipedia
- Dartmoor Letterboxing— Dartmoor Letterboxing