I set off towards the moors looking for a day similar to the one in the last two posts – clear and cold.  On the southern edge of the moors it looked as though the weather was not at all good and I [...]]]>

Frost and fog on the edge of Dartmoor

I set off towards the moors looking for a day similar to the one in the last two posts – clear and cold.  On the southern edge of the moors it looked as though the weather was not at all good and I almost turned back.

Tree in fog near Grimspound

When I got to the point where I had planned to walk from, close to Grimspound, it was obvious that there was some sun above the fog but visibility was not good.  I had planned to walk in the opposite direction to Grimspound and it is an area I know well enough to walk in even in these conditions however I decided to go a little further.

Bennett's Cross in fog

I parked near Bennett’s Cross (by the Warren House Inn) and from here the visibility was no better.  The cross is ancient but, as with so many of the remains on Dartmoor, no accurate dating is available.  It was mentioned in documents from around 1700 but almost certainly is older than that.  I set off into the fog.

On the edge of the fog

As I climbed the hill I found myself on the edge of the fog and it was obvious that it was a lovely day and that maybe the fog was relatively low lying.

Birch tor in frost

When I reached the top of the ridge I came out in sunshine and was looking over fog which was slightly below me and to the south only with the north moor relatively clear.

Fog around Soussons Down

After walking around some antiquities in the area and some old mine workings I headed down towards Soussons Down woods and back towards the fog.  I’ll blog the working and antiquities in a day or so.

Fog in Soussons forestry

The effect of the fog, frost and light in the forestry was simply lovely.  Wandering through the woods was a joy and I took quite a few pictures.  The area is Forestry Commission land and the trees are not natural or native to the area which is a pity.  Equally the plantations do cover up some antiquities too which is simply wrong.

Less than helpful sign!

As is often the case it is those small quirky things that make me smile and I just could not resist this sign.  Bear in mind this is an upland area largely devoid of signs of any sort and it was a very foggy day.  Fortunately I knew where I was and headed back to the car after having had a great walk that did not look promising at the start.

]]> http://www.totnesolutions.com/2011/02/on-dartmoor-in-frost-and-fog/feed/ 1 http://www.totnesolutions.com/2009/11/some-views-around-dartmouth/ http://www.totnesolutions.com/2009/11/some-views-around-dartmouth/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:51:55 +0000 nigel http://www.totnesolutions.com/?p=153

Ok well the above is from Dartmouth but as it looks out towards the open sea it is a useful one for context (and is a stitched panorama as well).  The town does have a very long history dating back to the time of the crusades (12th century) when it was [...]]]>

Ok well the above is from Dartmouth but as it looks out towards the open sea it is a useful one for context (and is a stitched panorama as well).  The town does have a very long history dating back to the time of the crusades (12th century) when it was used as a sailing port.

Bayard’s Cove was the original wharf here and this shows how it commands a view over the entrance to the river Dart.

Ferries

Access to Dartmouth from the east is by ferry.  There are three quite different ferries running services across the Dart.  There is the higher ferry which can take larger vehicles and is quite modern and which runs on cables.  From Kingswear there is a passenger ferry and also the lower ferry which can be seen here.  This is a floating platform which is “pulled” across the river by a boat “tug boat” style.

Some older parts and signs

Much of Dartmouth is old and there are many interesting buildings there.  One of the best known can be seen here – the Butterwalk.  This Tudor building was built in the early part of the 17th century.

I seem to have acquired an interest in collecting pictures of signs – hence this one.  There is no date on it,  however given the current is pre-decimal and the fact that a five shilling fine would probably not have been a deterrent for a long time I’m guess it will be around 100 years old.

Britannia Royal Naval College

This is somewhere that is actually better seen from the other side of the river so this image is taken from Kingswear.  The building dates from 1905 and has trained many naval officers in that time including many members of the Royal family.