Dartmoor


It was a good start to a week's holiday in Devon to be greeted by the words "Spring must have arrived - the first foal has been seen on the moors yesterday."




 Dartmoor is a land of contrasts it can be so beautiful and also very bleak even on the same day  - this is due to what sort of weather it is receiving. It's is also one of the rare places these days where you can walk without sight of any road or habitation for mile on mile.

 The textures and the colour of the moor vary too with hard grey granite tors and leats. (man-made water channels.)





The air is very pure and there is an abundance of lichens and mosses growing everywhere.




 The trees stand alone either having survived the battering of the winds, or grow in plantations ,or are over-hanging the streams covered in lichen and moss.





It is a land that can steal part of your heart  and this has happened to all of our family. It was not always the case with me - the first time I met it was on honeymoon. We drove across the moor to Princetown on a wet, grey day. The bleak Napoleonic prison there reflected the grey landscape.

Dartmoor Prison

Luckily this was not to be my lasting impression. We discovered a fantastic holiday cottage nineteen years ago, close to the moors and have in the 15 subsequent visits explored more and more of Dartmoor and discovered why this is such a special place to be.



It was Tavi 's first visit, we watched to see his reaction. It was good to see that he loves it too!




We were lucky with the weather and Dartmoor wasn't lost in fog until this morning when we were returning home.

Thank you very much for all the comments that were left on my last post so many of you are waiting for spring too - for those lighter evenings and plants and seeds emerging. Some of the things you were waiting for made me smile too including a grandchild, and the ironing fairy- I think some of us maybe be waiting longer than others!
 Sarah x


Comments

  1. Stunning photos of a lovely location. It is awhile since I have been to Dartmoor but it certainly is a magical place which I must explore again one day. xx

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  2. Such gorgeous photos of a very special place, i know exactly what you mean about the drastic contrasts of colour, textures and light - to me, it's the England of classic novels and tales, absolutely love it there! x

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  3. Great photos of a lovely place. Love the photos of Tavi.. he looks like he had great fun :o) x

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  4. Stunning pics,have been to Dartmoor but not for a long time,it is a magical place in lots of ways.Amazing scenery.Tavi looks sooo happy.x

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  5. Thanks for helping me appreciate Dartmoor, Sarah. I have such a prejudice for enjoying the ocean it is good for me to expand my horizons and learn to enjoy other locales as well :-) [I have to work hardest at loving the desert.] My blog roll does not seem to keep the blogs I want to read up to date, so I have just had the pleasure of scrolling back to enjoy your posts I have missed the last few weeks. I liked your mom's saying, "the mists roll in with the tides," but can not think of a good example of such a saying from our family. And as for waiting...well I guess one thing I'm waiting for is for my blog roll to roll accurately! xx

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  6. Oh beautiful Dartmoor, it's somewhere I love. I haven't been properly for ages, but it's a place I always feel so reluctant to leave. Glad you had such a lovely time there. CJ xx

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  7. How lovely wiews You have there :)
    So nice.
    I'm looking forward if my first trip to England and West Country will be truth in June.

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    1. Hello and welcome , I hope your trip to England will be enjoyable. June is a good month to visit! Sarah x

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  8. Fabulous. I love it up there, all the wild beauty of it. And the foals, of course. A perfect time of year to go.

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  9. Your photos are beautiful - it looks like a truly amazing place and I can see why you want to go back and visit year after year. In this busy, crowded world we live in, it must be wonderful to go somewhere where you can just "be."
    Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Breathtaking photos, Sarah... Thank you so much for sharing Dartmoor...
    Tavi looks so sweet.
    Wishing you a peaceful Sunday
    blessings,
    Penny

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  11. Hello. Blog-hopping from a friend's blog and found you. We used to live in Dorset, but then we moved to Wales and they shut the gate behind us! Yes, Dartmoor steals a bit of your heart. A big bit of mine - my dad's side of my family go back centuries on t he periphery of the moor and if I could up-sticks I would be there tomorrow!

    Sounds like you had a lovely holiday but I expect you are missing the wildness already.

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  12. I am so pleased that you, your husband and the lovely Tavi had such a great holiday in the Dartmoor area. It is a wonderful place to visit with its ever changing skies and colouring. We are fortunate to still have so many untouched and wild places left in our little country and long may that continue.

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  13. Your image of the granite outcrop is beautiful, the stone looks crumpled up - and the windblown trees, just hanging on, look like ones on the North York Moors here.

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  14. I also like the wide open spaces of moorland. I don't know Dartmoor so well, but I went to school in Tiverton, so I am more familiar with Exmoor. Did you see any deer?

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    1. No we only saw ponies and sheep. I can't remember ever seeing any deer on Dartmoor. We were only saying the other day that we should explore more of Exmoor, we have only been there once. Sarah x

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  15. I never thought I'd care much for moors, either, but I can see their enchantment in your photos. I was wondering if you've noticed a difference between female and male Westies personality-wise? I love it when Gabriel runs like I see Tavi doing. That's the only time I can see his smile. ☺ Because we have over 2 acres of land I've been letting Gabriel run off lease. He's been very good about not straying beyond our boundary and will (eventually) come back to the fenced area when called. He loves the freedom of running unfettered and it blesses my heart to let him.

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    1. Daisy was very timid and gentle whereas Tavi loves approaching any other dog and is quite boisterous. They are very different but I prefer it to be like than being similar. Sarah x

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    2. Gabriel is like Tavi. I wonder if it's because they're males? Having raised 3 sons, I'm more familiar with the male temperament!

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  16. I'd love to explore Dartmoor one day - it looks like my kid of place! We met a Dartmoor pony having a walk on the beach recently (she was young so being introduced to new experiences) - she was such a pretty pony. They would be lovely to see out on the moor. Sounds like you had a lovely holiday. Juliex

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  17. I'm sure this varied and wild landscape offers lots of opportunities to its visitors. I have never been there,but would like to.I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your stay, especially the youngest ones!
    Olympia

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  18. What a beautiful landscape, Sarah. I can see why you keep returning year after year. It seems so different than your coastal views. I would love to go there some day!

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  19. Beautiful photos! I've never been to Dartmoor but I'd really like to - I know I'd love it!

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    1. I think you would feel at home, some of it is similar to the Peak district. Sarah x

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  20. We used to live on the edge of Dartmoor when my dad's job took him to Plymouth and all points west of that city. I absolutely loved it: the sheep, the ponies, the wilderness and the nearby beaches. When my parents moved back to Hampshire, they almost didn't dare tell me as they knew I'd be upset at leaving! Bizarrely (for someone who has ended up in London), I have a thing for wild places and also loved living in Cornwall and Yorkshire. Pleased you had a good holiday and the weather was kind; it can make all the difference! Caro x

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    1. Glad that you had a good time, and that Tavi did too! xx

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  21. It's so interesting there. I've never been there myself, only seen it in photos, but it sort of reminds me of the high desert landscape where I live, only greener. I assume that's because it gets much more rain than we get here, but the rockiness and sort of desolate feeling seems similar.

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  22. It is lovely to know one place really well, isn't it. No wonder it is in your heart - it's fabulous.

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  23. A beautiful looking place Sarah and I can see why you return so often, thank you for sharing through your lovely pictures.
    John

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  24. We love Dartmoor. My mum lives in Devon & often head to Dartmoor when we visit her. I think we go to a different area to you. We've found a place called Bonehill Rocks about ten miuntes on from Hay Tor. Less busy. I like going back throughout the year to see how things change with the seasons.

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    1. We are usually on the moors nearest to Tavistock. I will have to look out for Bonehill rocks. Hattie was the first time we ever climbed and we have never investigated the quarry which is close by. Sarah x

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    2. Indeed, it does appear to be a lovely and interesting place that has captured your heart. Thank you for taking us along on this trip. Best, Kim

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  25. I understand why you fell in love with this scenery!
    is so pure and beautiful, whats NOT to love?
    I wish this was the view in our Hoek van Holland!!!!
    liefs
    Lia

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  26. We like Dartmoor very much, Sarah. I remember my last visit last year, a short visit. But during several holidays we have seen Dartmoor for longer.

    Sigrun

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  27. Beautiful stark and atmospheric photos Sarah. I've never been to Dartmoor but I can see it has a special bleakness that is so evident on a damp and cold day. So beautiful....another place to add to my bucket list...it's growing yearly...have a lovely week! Sharon x

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  28. I'm delighted to hear Tavi enjoyed Dartmoor..it could be scary for a little doggie I think and very different from the seaside.

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  29. Dartmoor! What a place! Did you see the footsteps of a gigantic hound? Or was that just Tavi?
    Amalia
    xo

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  30. Hello Sarah,
    Beautiful landscape photos. Tavi looks like he is really enjoying himself out there. Enjoy your Spring.
    Blessings,
    Bobbie Lynn

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  31. What a beautiful post! We went to Dartmoor last summer and I was captivated by its wild beauty - such an amazing landscape. I'm glad that Tavi enjoyed it too :)
    Cathy x

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  32. Glorious. Love the shots of Tavi too! xx

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  33. Your images are so stunning! I do love Dartmoor and find it quite magical whether it is misty or sunny there. Even in a storm it is wonderful. Tavi is a real cutie! x

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  34. Your photos are stunning! This place is so beautiful. Tavi is so sweet :)

    Carpet cleaners Battersea

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  35. Tavi looks to be having such fun Sarah! Love the weather worn trees and the lichen....beautiful.

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  36. So breathtaking and beautiful...lovely shots!
    Warm hug,
    Titti

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  37. Thank you for sharing your photo's. It is many years since I visited Dartmoor and you have bought back happy memories, thank you.

    Happy Easter Wishes

    All the best Jan

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  38. Beautiful shots of one of my favourite places. Luckily for me much of North Wales is similarly remote ... I need wild places like I need air.

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  39. Dear Sarah,

    Looks like the perfect place to get away for a holiday - Dartmoor and Devon looks wonderful and the scenery, wild beauty and isolation must be amazing.
    Happy Easter to you and your family
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  40. What a wonderful looking place.

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  41. Hello Sarah, Thank you for your visit. The plant below the maples is a variety of a Echeveria. It started out as a tiny cutting. I have taken some clippings and put them in separate containers. It is a beautiful succulant and flowers with a long strand of tiny flowers. I will try to remember to take a photo the next time.
    Have a beautiful Easter weekend.
    Blessings,
    Bobbie Lynn

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  42. It does look like quite an interesting landscape! In some small ways, it reminds me of the Icelandic landscape I "met" on my honeymoon.

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