Dartmoor
These shots were taken along the footpath signposted 'Wistman's Wood'. If you park in the public car-park at Two Bridges (the junction between the B3212 and B3357, you will find the footpath at the back of said car-park. |
The Merrivale Stone Rows are impressive examples of their type and are easily accessible from the B3357 |
Burrator parish is said to be one of the largest in the country, at 59.45 square kilometres, but also one of the most sparsely populated. It was formed from the older parishes of Meavy, Sheepstor and Walkhampton. Burrator Reservoir, opened in 1891, is the main water supply for Plymouth. The Reservoir was formed by flooding the Meavy valley at the end of the 19th century, and is surrounded by granite tors, moorland and woodland.There are further photos of this area in the 'War Horse locations' gallery. |
Work at Foggintor started about 1820. Granite was the material extracted from the quarry, original used in the constuction of Dartmoor Prison and the Princetown village that grew up around it. In later years Granite was transported further afield by Thomas Tyrwhitt's horse-drawn tramway to Plymouth. This was later replaced by the Yelverton to Princetown railway.Quarry operations were substantial enough to warrant building not only offices, but also cottages, a day school and chapel, all just beside the canyon-like quarry. Little of them now remain except their ground-plans, one of the last walls of any height belongs to the manager's house. Foggintor quarry ceased operations soon after the turn of the century, but the neighbouring Swell Tor quarry was still worked until the 1930s, and the cottages were not demolished until 1953 when the materials from them were used for the buildings beneath the nearby North Hessary television mast. Foggintor's major claim to fame is that it was the source of the granite for Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square. Parts of London bridge were also constructed from Foggintor Granite. |
These shots were taken around Shaugh Bridge, which is just outside Shaugh Prior. |
These pictures were taken when you could still gain access to the public viewing point. Shellco have subsequently fenced the area off, which I discovered on a return visit! |
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