1. Nun's Cross Farm
Nun's Cross Farm is located near Princetown in the centre of Dartmoor, and is an atmospheric and remote spot perfect for photography. The surrounding landscape offers dramatic views, rugged moorland, and weathered buildings, making it ideal for capturing the wild essence of Dartmoor.
How to find it: From the roundabout in Princetown take the B3212 towards Two Bridges. After just a few metres, turn right into Tor Royal Lane. Follow this road for a couple of miles and park at Whiteworks parking area just after the road bends sharply left. Backtrack to that corner, and take one of a number of paths which head south. When you get the brown of the hill, you will see Nun's Cross Farm below you.
Best conditions: Winter sunrise when the first rays of the sun light the front of the old farmhouse. Frosty or snowy conditions can add to the atmosphere of this lonely and isolated place.
Composition ideas: The classic shot is from the front of the farm with the wall as foreground interest, and the gateway inviting the eye towards the old farmhouse beyond. Alternatively, walk up the hill to the south for more distant shots which show the farm in all its remoteness in the bare landscape.
2. Brent Tor
Brent Tor is a scenic spot on the western edge of Dartmoor, known for its dramatic views and the historic St. Michael de Rupe church perched on top. It makes an amazing photo location and is definitely well worth a visit!
How to find it: Brent Tor is easy to find on the minor road between Lydford Gorge and Tavistock which runs parallel to the A386. Travelling south, continue past the village of Brentor and you reach Brent Tor on the left a mile or so afterwards. Just before the Tor, take a right fork and turn immediately left into a small free car park. From there, Brent Tor is only a short (but steep!) walk away.
Best conditions: Sunset, when the sun sets behind the church and hopefully the sky lights up with sunset colours. For the best shots, you will need to bracket to ensure you keep highlight and shadow detail.
Composition ideas: The classic compositions is taken from the stony ridge south of the church where the rocks can be used as foreground interest, and the lines in the rocks help to provide lead-in lines which lead towards the church.
3. Old bridge at Meavy
Not a well known photo location, but I love this little stone bridge near the village of Meavy in the south west of the moor.
How to find it: Passing east to west through the village of Meavy you will come to a crossroads just after the primary school. Here you turn right (south) down a minor road, and after a few hundred metres you come to a sharp right bend where you cross the stone bridge across the River Meavy. Park on the right just after the bridge.
Best conditions: Cloudy but dry days are always best for this type of shot. Cloudy skies provide nice soft even light and avoid the problems of bright sunshine where you would have a wide dynamic range to deal with.
Composition ideas: Get your wellies and stand in the river so you can have the flowing water as foreground, and use the bridge to draw the viewers eye into the photo. Ideally use a shutter speed of 1/2 second or longer to slightly blur the moving water. On a cloudy day, under the trees this should be possible without needing ND filters, however a CPL filter would be good to cut down any glare on the water.
4. Foggintor Quarry
The abandoned quarry at Foggintor creates a ruggedly beautiful Dartmoor scene, and in the right conditions can produce some dramatic and atmospheric shots.
How to find it: Take the B3357 from Two Bridges westwards towards Merrivale. Just after a turning on the left to Princetown you will come to the brow of a hill with an abandoned building on the right. Park somewhere around here. Almost opposite the abandoned house is a track on the left of the main road which goes to Yellowmead Farm and then onwards to Foggintor. It's around a mile to walk.
Best conditions: The quarry is especially atmospheric in the mist or fog, which adds a mysterious and moody element to your shots.
Composition ideas: I think the best composition is a wide angle shot from the main entrance to the quarry, utilizing a CPL filter to reveal rocks below the calm waters of the quarry, and making the most of the rugged cliffs reflected in the water.
5. Great Staple Tor
One of the most photogenic tors in Dartmoor, Great Staple Tor features uniquely stacked granite formations. The views are sweeping and dramatic, especially when lit by the rising or setting sun.
How to find it: Take the B3357 from Merrivale towards Tavistock. A half a mile or so after Merrivale, park in one of the ad-hoc parking areas on the side of the road. Find one of the well worn paths which climb upward to the north of the road and you will eventually reach the Tor.
Best conditions: Sunrise or sunset are definitely the best times to photograph this tor, when the golden rays of the sun light up the stunning rock formations.
Composition ideas: I think the best composition is one which includes both of the tor rock stacks (as in the photo below); use the first stack as foreground interest and the second to draw the viewers eye into the frame. Using the setting sun (as below) helps to add a focal point and more visual interest.The photo below used brackets to capture the full dynamic range, and a very small aperture (f22) in order to produce the sunstar.
Want to improve your photography skills?
Don't forget that if you want some direct help with your photography, I offer a range of 1-2-1 photography courses for Devon based folks. If you're not nearby then I also offer residential weekends for beginners or improving photographers.
About me
I first got into photography after walking the beautiful South West Coast Path: I was so disappointed that my photos didn't do justice to the beautiful coastal scenery that I decided to walk all 630 miles all over again, but this time to also teach myself photography along the way!
A few years later and I find myself as a professional photographer, widely published and with landscape photos which have won national awards. But I do much more than landscapes, providing photography training to businesses & individuals on how to take beautiful photographs, and providing professional photography services to businesses across the South West. My commercial specialisms are property photography, business photography, people photography & aerial (drone) photography.
I’m also an author with a number of published books and I give regular talks about my passion for photography, and for Devon, to camera clubs and other groups.
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