The Dartmoor Diaries 1 – Climbing Dartmoor & Postbridge Visit

We'd climbed Dartmoor!

We made it to Dartmoor! The weighty trailers and steep hills did their best to slow our progress but the Plym valley cycle route was not only scenic but a great, manageable way to climb up to the moors from sea level at Plymouth. A group of Dartmoor ponies (what IS the collective term for Dartmoor Ponies!?) welcomed us, and our tyres rumbled over cattlegrids. We’d climbed Dartmoor! Looking back on the way to our campsite in Princetown we could trace the route back to Plymouth and where we had been in the Tamar Valley.
We got in to Princetown and set up camp, happy with progress. I went for a dusk walk and climbed a nearby tor, watching lone headlights trace the shape of some of the surrouding hills as the first stars came out. I sat a while longer, and watched a nearby tower be smothered by low lying cloud – the red of its lights made it glow from within for a while. All this relaxed enjoyment was briefly jolted when I realised I had climbed the tor with light, and it was now dark – where was it I climbed up!? Luckily I found an easier way down, and walked back to my tent. I slept well that night.
Next morning we had a short ride to Bellever, within Dartmoor Forest and very central to Dartmoor. On the way we passed through Two Bridges. Thank you to the driver of the lorry who gave us an encouraging toot and wave as we climbed out and over the valley. I wish I had time to stop at Wistmans wood – a beautful, mystical and rare spot of ancient woodland a short walk from Two Bridges, a favourite spot of mine for photographs. On the last road to Bellever we were pulling our way up the last hill of the day when I heard a birds call, but not one I knew at all. I looked about and saw what made it – a parrot! It was grey with a lighter head and vibrant red tail perched on the edge of a pine branch.

I stopped and had a closer look – yup that’s definitely a parrot! It seemed to be enjoying the pine nuts. A passing motorist also stopped to see what we were looking at, and we guessed how it had got here – an escaped pet, we thought. It seemed to look more at home here than in a cage, despite the unlikely mix!  I checked if it was there still later but it had moved on, so I hope it makes the tough Dartmoor winters as it is a long way from home! We are staying at the Bellever  YHA, a great little hostel in a stunning location. It would be a great base camp to explore Dartmoor on foot or by bike, I will be back I’m sure. We arrived a little early and I took the time to do some much needed bike maintenance (trailers can be tough on brake pads!) and to explore Bellever wood through which the Dart river flows.

After a good substantial breakfast we took the camera to Postbridge, where Dartmoor National Park have an information centre right by the very picturesque Clapper Bridge. Our first view that we set the camera up looked across the fields nearby where a farmer and his dog was gathering his flock of sheep expertly. The small hedgerow in the foreground was great to show people how cameras are able to shift focus, and how changing the aperture can bring detail to the blurred landscape behind.

We had a great mix of people out enjoying the moors, and lots of intially bewildered German tourists, one of whom (I think) explained he had once cycled from Prague to Scotland. Although my German is very limited ‘einen gros camera!’ seemed to work when combined with some enthusiastic pointing, once inside the light still amazed and excited, and I was able to mime how it worked. We were also joined by some Duke of Edinburgh hikers, families, locals and the lovely Dartmoor staff.  Click for information about the visitor centre and view their webcam here.

We then packed up and crossed the road (stopping for a quick ice cream from the Post Office Stores) and set up with a view of the very scenic Clapper Bridge. Apparantly, the name comes from the word cleaca, which means ‘bridging the stepping stones’.

Clapper Bridge

It was great watching the movement of the visitors on the bridge – it is always striking seeing the image move from within the camera as it can be easy to forget that the projection is live, rather than a captured, still image. Watching people photograph the very photogenic setting was also strange from within a camera – it was funny how covert you feel inside the camera, being able to see out but others can’t see in! Despite the size, not many people suspect that it is a camera obscura. I spent some time photographing just the bridge and its visitors before inviting them inside. The children particularly liked this, especially when they could see people they know outside. It was good to hear people notice different things within the camera that they don’t outside – the different colours and shapes of the trees for instance, or a bird flying across the sky.

Visitors on the bridgeWatching the projection

We had a good mix of visitors enjoying a holiday both from within the UK and further afield, and a number took our worksheets away to take pictures of their own – we are excited to see how they come out.

When we explained that we were carrying all of our equipment by bicycle it was funny gauging peoples reactions – many thought Dartmoor was too hilly or dangerous to be explored by bike. Although the hills are certainly a challenge, I have always found cycling on Dartmoor very rewarding – you can better appreiciate the scale and beauty of the place when you have pedalled your way across it. You can better appreciate the pubs and cafes, also!

We headed back to Bellever for the night, writing postcards and drinking hot chocolate. Early the next day we headed to Haytor.

If you are reading this and have photographs or the land to submit prompted by our visit please send them to gallery@pinholepedallers.org and we will put them online for all to see.