And now we wind our way slowly back across the hill to descend at Belstone, stopping to have a look at some more of the unusual tors on the way. I have been busy looking up other interesting tors on the internet and have found a real beauty which I am intending to walk to as soon as I am able to find the right combination of time and weather conditions. This particular tor is a long way out and I have not yet decided whether I will be able to walk all the way there and back in one day, so this particular trip might involve a bit of overnight camping.
As you can see, Dartmoor is not really the easiest of places to yomp across, as it seems designed to twist the ankle with pretty much every step and it's too far to hop back across all these hills on one leg.
There are such things as mires around here on the lower ground, which should be avoided unless you are very confident about jumping from tussock to tussock. The river cleaves are treacherously rocky and almost every step has to be fully considered. The hilltops, though covered with clitter are ok to walk on, though you get the full force of the weather on top and it is easy to end up walking inside a cloud. All in all none of the distances covered here are that easy and a good stout walking stick is recommended as well as a map and compass. I have walked out here on my own today which is also not really that good an idea, as plenty can go wrong in these short days.
Well that's all for another time and plenty to look forward to. In the meantime we will get back down to Belstone and off to Sticklepath and the bus. The light here is already becoming somewhat lunar, the hills will settle into darkness again soon and this really isn't the place to be out walking at night.
9 comments:
I love this...,will need to travel to this place one day good photos shamanic
.....respects neil
Hi and thanks very much neil. It is quite a place alright and it gets in the blood and pulls you in does Dartmoor. I keep wanting to go further and further in too see more of it.
One of the good things about the place is that most of it has to be walked to. There are small tracks that cars can use in parts but if you want to get to the good stuff you have to walk, which is fine by me. Dartmoor will be there when you can get to the place, or maybe you have moors like this near where you are, similar places are around.
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment neil and all the best to you.
Hullo John,
What amazes me is that none of these locations have featured in any movies. Or have they? All I know is that I'm astounded by them. That first photo is so extraordinary I was half inclined to view it as an illustration. Who was that chap that drew rocks like that? I forget his name but I recall he had a book that featured a robotic alien holding up his hand as he stood in front of a sci-fi jet fighter thing. Ring a bell?
Anyway mate, it's all very singular. Hmm... ever thought of becoming a location scout? Mind you, if you want to ruin a place send a film crew there. Ha!
Cheers Nobody and thanks
It's almost unbelievable but there was someone called Spielberg and his tiny team on parts of Dartmoor last year making something that will probably never be seen anywhere called War Horse, much was done to accommodate. He seems to have pissed off the locals at Castle Combe in Wiltshire, where he also filmed.
You've got me on the illustrator though, I don't know who that was but I am slightly intrigued now, how annoying.
Being a location scout sounds interesting but I usually find that if I discover anywhere really unknown and interesting I won't tell anyone where it is, well hardly anyone anyway.
nice ,clear photos ,john ,I think it was interesting walk with all these differant formations of rocks, and it was cool air ,on the top of the hills ,I know that great feeling ,standing on the hills ,and looking around to the low land .
In my town there's a small valley ,called Skefta ,it has beautifull mountians on the both sides ,i like to go there very much ,it's cool at summer,but we don't have green land as Belstone,
Belstone is more beautifull .
So,enjoy your country and I'll do whene i have alook on your blog .
have good time .
Choukran Reem I am very glad you have enjoyed seeing Dartmoor, it is a beautiful place for walking. As you approach the moor the feel of nature changes; rocks become mossier, the lichen shaggier and nature intensifies. I try to get some of this into the photos.
Skefta sounds a lovely place to walk Reem and although it may not be so green as Dartmoor I am sure it would have its own special beauty.
It has been quite springlike here lately. There are bulbs coming up in the woods and the birds are singing again. I'll try to get some recent photos up soon.
All the best to you.
you're all right john ,every place has its own special beauty ,that's nice from you ,thanks .
I just miss the green land there ,I like to see green trees, lush groung ,all of that give me peace and quiet, anyway it's my lovely town .
Hopefully to see more photos soon .
Have good time .
Hullo John, I did an absurdly long search looking for that fellow. I didn't find him of course but it certainly reacquainted me with lots of illustrators that I'd otherwise forgotten about. And in amongst it all I'm thinking that the cove I was trying to remember was the wrong chap anyway.
It seems that the right chap was none other than, wait for it... Roger Dean, particularly in his earlier pix. Go have a look, all his rocks look like this. I'm thinking he, a) has spent time tramping about in dartmoor and, b) liked using a spatter cap (on his airbrush). Does that sound right to you?
Cheers and thanks Reem. Hopefully I will get some pictures up soon.
Hi nobody and thanks for taking the trouble to look, hopefully you rediscovered some interesting artists on the way. Let us know if there was anyone who surprised you.
I think his picture for Topographic Oceans included hay Tor on Dartmoor which I think he said he took from a postcard. I expect that he knew Dartmoor. he also said that he took inspiration from the landscape and islands of the north west coast of Scotland. A very beautiful place and very wild.
Yes a spatter cap. I never had an airbrush but have used them a little bit in the past. I think in some of his really early work he used car spray paints!
cheers and thanks
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