DARTMOOR

I luckily get to visit Dartmoor a couple of times a week. It's usually an early pre-twighlight start to one of my regular favourite walks.

My backpack is always fully loaded with my camera, tripod and a few lenses (my lungs don't thank me for that), Dartmoor is the focus of my photography and here is a little I've learned and snapped along the way..

Exploring

Here are some images from my favourite areas to explore. They are good starting points with lots of options that I frequently visit.

BURRATOR

More than just a reservoir with an ice cream van..

Just a short hike will get you to many of the surrounding tors, woodlands and waterways. It's somewhere I visit most weeks and I still find new things.

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Lone tree in a Dartmoor Landscape near Burrator

Misty scene of rocks and pine trees in Burrator

Moss covered tree in misty woodland in Burrator

MERRIVALE

Big views, shapely tors and historic structures

Between Four Winds and Pork Hill car parks you can wander off to many sites. Merivale stone row, Cox Tor and Windy Post to name a few

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Lone Tree and small tor on Dartmoor near Merrivale

BELSTONE

A quaint gateway to north Dartmoor's unique valley

The village is only matched by the stunning views beyond. The valleys are different to what you will see anywhere else on the moor.

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Red Deer in a flower meadow near Belstone

DART VALLEY

Around Venford you have great views of the Dart and its woodland

The Dart Valley cuts steeply through the landscape around here. The view from the top near Venford can be awesome and the woodlands below hold plenty of hidden treasures

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Misty wooded brook near the Dart Valley, Dartmoor

Rusty, frost covered Bracken leaf on Dartmoor

Stepping Stones across the Dart on Dartmoor

Books

I have a few books about Dartmoor that I find really interesting. These books provide valuable insight into the history and culture of Dartmoor, as well as the stunning landscape that surrounds it. While they are not photographic guides, they do help you understand the landscape you are hiking in and the context of some of the features you see.

by Phil Newman

Reading this book will help you understand all those piles of stones along valleys and the waterways above them. It's a short book that covers an industry that had a massive impact on the Dartmoor landscape.

by Stephen Woods

This is a great archive of photographs and made me appreciate that form of photography. It's a very complete index of types of stone features. I picked up a copy in an antique shop and have no idea if it is still in print.

by John Hayward

This is a popular book that highlights a gem within each square mile of Dartmoor. You gain so many stories and history about the moor. A good opportunity to learn if you do more than just box-tick each square.

DARTMOOR PONIES

A hike on the moor will always be shared with some ponies. While they are cautious, you will only get one or two glances before they return to feeding. If you sit calmly and wait, you can occasionally get a more inquisitive pony come see what you are about and that's when I tend to get better results. One day this may become a Collection, but for now here are a few images I've captured.