A couple of weeks ago I boarded a train expecting to go to Exeter for a weekend away with my boyfriend. We planned to stay at a Premier Inn and explore the city and maybe some local countryside! So imagine my surprise when we stayed on the train to Newton Abbot, got in a cab and pulled up outside Bovey Castle in the heart of Dartmoor. I was taken aback, to say the least. A weekend in a 5-star hotel and spa wasn’t what I expected but it was a wonderful birthday treat – and the perfect chance to take some photos in the heart of stunning Dartmoor.
Our home for the weekend:
On our second day in Dartmoor we decided we needed to go exploring, so we got dropped off at Two Bridges (Dartmoor without a car was a bit of a challenge) and set off to find Wistman’s Wood. We were well prepared with waterproofs and layers but remarkably the weather held off for the duration of our walk! Although the wind did howl in a very ‘Hound of the Baskerville’s’ way.
Wistman’s Wood is an incredible place, quite a bizarre landscape and is known by some as the ‘most haunted place in Dartmoor’! There’s more to read about the legend of the wood on this fascinating website.
You can’t see it very well in this format but I managed to get a panoramic shot of the moors which I’m quite pleased with.
And here’s my boyfriend surveying the landscape from Longaford Tor. Once I found a sheltered spot away from the howling wind, it was incredibly peaceful and I enjoyed sitting on a slightly damp rock, admiring the scenery and enjoying the peace.
We were fortunate enough to stumble upon some Dartmoor ponies sheltering from the wind.
Check out the mane flying in the wind on the pony below!
This was the view from our bedroom window on our last morning – it was stunning! Sunday started off with a massage in the spa and some time to explore Exeter before our train back to London. What a lovely weekend!
Lily M Photography 