Westcountry wanderings » calm

Circular walk from Burrator reservoir – part 2

nigel — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 13:44:52 +0000

This is the continuation of the walk that started with the post here. From the area around Crazywell Pool we headed up the valley of the Newleycombe Lake (a stream not a lake). It is quite hard to walk most parts of Dartmoor without seeing the remains of tin workings. In the valley, just before we turned south, we walked through an area that had quite extensive remains. The area above interested me. Initially it looked like a small pond in the process of becoming a bog. However, looking at the sloping walls to the sides and the fact that water was running out from the back of the area, I think it is probably the remains of a mining adit driven into the side of the hill which is gradually silting up.

Having walked south a little way we turned south west to start walking back to Burrator reservoir walking along the Down Tor stone row. There are a number of Bronze Age remains all quite close together here and there is no obvious way to determine the order of building. At the eastern end of the row is a cairn and an enclosure while at the western end there is a circle and a number of cairns. The actual row stretches away eastwards from this shot.

By the standards of many of the remains like this on Dartmoor, the Down Tor ones are quite well preserved. The above photo shows the circle at the western end of the row and inside the circle is the remains of a kistvaen. While not intact the stones around the burial area are quite clear to see.

The above image, showing the end stone in the row and part of the circle around the kistvaen looks south towards Combshead Tor. The longer shadows show it was getting late in the day by now.

We walked back to Burrator via Cuckoo Rock which is quite a large outcrop of granite which could probably be termed a tor. However, while it stands out well from some angles, it was not very prominent from here. However the late light on the tree (a rowan I imagine) just behind Cuckoo Rock was lovely.

When we arrived back at Burrator reservoir the sunlight had effectively gone but the water looked very tranquil with delicate shades. I’ll return to this spot again.

Frosty autumn morning on the river Dart

nigel — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:18:26 +0000

It was quite early and with one of the first frosts of autumn on the ground. I decided to get out and walk down the river Dart a little way from Totnes. The early wintery light on the river and the frost made for some good photography. The frost is on the jetty here just at the edge of Totnes.

At times the light was quite exceptional and even looks quite warm on the photo, however it was still below freezing at the time.

The sense of peace and tranquillity at the bottom of the path was lovely. There was hardly another person around and the river was glassy and still. There was a duck or two on the water but little else was stirring.

By the time I got back to Totnes the mist had burnt off and there was rather more sun (though not a lot more heat). The river was still calm allowing some reflections of the autumnal trees on Vire Island.

I love the fact that a story may be told in a picture however, in this case, the story is not obvious maybe. The trainers had certainly been there all night and had frost on them…

Reflections on reflections

nigel — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:04:15 +0000

This post does not relate to any specific photo shoot but to the fact that, from time to time, I realise I am paying as much attention to the reflections I see as the conventional view. The one above brings a little summer to the winter weather. As with some of the others it is on the River Dart – tidal here and at high tide.

Some settings seem to “demand” an image of reflections to me. This one is again on the Dart but above the tidal stretch and in early light. The winter starkness of the trees and the slightly misty light add to this one.

Others creep up on you rather more subtly. In this one I realised the reflections were more interesting than the subject maybe. Equally the colours in the water are brighter than the colours above (untreated too).

I caught this one yesterday. Reflections around the sea are maybe less usual however the tidal pool here coupled with the sky, clouds and the family (I guess) intent on the activity in the water caught my eye and insisted on me taking the image.