174 DigitalSLRPhotographyJanuary 2020
SouthDartmoor
AlthoughDartmoorisbestknownamong
photographersforitsruggedtorsand
wide-openspaces,it is alsohometo stunning
woodlandandphotogenic rivers.As you
travelsouth,a must-visitlocationfortogs is
Shaugh Prior(foundonthesouth-western
edgeof themoors). ShaughBridgecarparkis
reachedfromtheA3 8 trunkroadthrough
PlymouthbyproceedingnorthontheA3 86
untilyoureacha right turntowardBickleigh
justaftertheroundaboutnorthof
Roborough. Followthisminorroadforthree
milesthroughBickleigh.Youwillpassover
Shaugh Bridge andtheNationalTrustcarpark
is onyourleft bytheoldquarrybuilding.Here,
theRiverMeavyandPlym meetontheir route
towardtheseaat Plymouth.Youdon’t need
to walkfar beforethepicturepotentialis
obvious.The riverstumble overboulder-
strewnrocks,whileShaughBridgeis an
attractive17thCenturystonebridge. Walk
alongtherivertowardCadoverBridge
(wherethereis alsoparking) andlookfor
decentcompositions.Again,lowcontrast
lightis mostphotogenic, andspringand
autumnfoliagetypicallyworksbest.A
wide-angle zoomin theregionof 17-35mm
is a goodchoice.Becareful gettingcloseto
the water’sedge and beware slippery rocks.
BuckfastAbbey,nearBuckfastleigh,is an
activeBenedictinemonasteryandjusta short
drivefromtheA3 8. Thegardensarebeautiful
andclosebyis BuckfastButterflyFarmand
DartmoorOtterSanctuary– a goodspotto
killtimeduringthedaywhilewaitingforbetter
light.Burratorreservoir,locatednearSheeps
Tor,whichis a shortdrivefromtheA386from
Yelverton,is alsoworthexploring.Surrounded
bymixedwoodland,therearemilesofpaths
closeby andthelakeis atits mostphotogenic
onstilldayswhenthe wateris mirror-like.You
canachieveelevatedviewsofthereservoir
fromSheepsTorandSharpitor– bothgreat
spots,particularlyafterclear,coolnights
whenmist canhangevocatively abovethe
reservoir.Sharpitoris a particularlygooddawn
location,withroadside parkingjustoffthe
B3 212 betweenDouslandandPrincetown.
Ashort,but relatively steep 15 -minutewalk
willrewardyouwithgreatviewsoverlooking
LeatherTorandlookingtowardsunrise.Thisis
agreatspotwhenthereis a dustingofsnow
onthe ground,but pickyourrouteoverthe
rockscarefully– as always,good,supportive
footwearwillproveessential,andyoumight
want to consider usingwalkingpoles too.331) Shaugh Prior is a great spot to visit for woodland and river
photography. 2) A good location for shooting dawn is the
summit of Sharpitor. 3) Perched atop of a tor near Tavistock is
Brentor Church. 4) Great Staple Tor is a great photo location
andwellworthvisitingthroughouttheday.photographamongthetrees,sodon’tforget
to packyourmacrolens.
Stopfora cuppa anda creamteain
Widecombe-in-the-Moor– oneofthe
prettiestvillagesinDevonandhometoan
imposingchurch(knownastheCathedralof
theMoor).Youcanachievestunning
elevatedviewsofthevillagefromnearby
BonehillRocks, andthe roadleadingdown
intoWidecombe, showingthe churchin
contextwiththe surroundingcountryside.
Amistymorningwilladdmoodandmagic
toyourimages.Andifyouarelookingfor
somewheretobaseyourselfduringyour
Dartmooradventure,considerAshburton,
ChagfordorMoretonhampstead.Allfound
within easternDartmoor,but easily
accessible from either the mainA3 0 orA3 8.
WestDartmoor
Movingwest,discoveryetmoreawe-
inspiringwildernessandopenmoorland.
ExploreMerrivale, withits ancientstonerow
andprehistoricsettlements,whilecloseby
aretwoofDartmoor’smostimpressivetors- GreatStapleTorandGreatMisTor.Parkin
the mainMerrivale carpark,justoffthe
B3357, that runsbetweenPrincetownand
Tavistock.It takes 30 -4 0 minutestowalkup
tothe tor,alongthe armytrack, passingLittle
MisToronroute.Onceat thesummit,you'll
finda clusterofbeautiful graniteoutcrops
anda hugechoiceofcompositions.Youcan
shootin alldirectionsfromhereandvisitat
anytimeoftheday. AswithallDartmoor’s
tors,thebestconditionsarewhenthe skyis
dark,stormyandforeboding.
AsyoudrivetowardTavistock,youwill
reachPorkHillandalarge carpark, where