But the former retained the glory with the help of a journalist who had been covering the race, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, SirArthurConanDoyle.
But the practice is based not on the brainchild of any university professor or crime expert, but in fiction - the character of Sherlock Holmes, created by SirArthurConanDoyle.
Whipped up by Charles Darwin's new perspective on life and by visions of lost worlds conjured up by Jules Verne and SirArthurConanDoyle, that was an age of discovery.
Tales of headless horsemen stalking ancient burial sites, gruesome hairy hands forcing vehicles off the road and a visit from the devil himself have given Dartmoor a doomladen reputation, making it a favourite setting for writers such as SirArthurConanDoyle and Agatha Christie.