Determined not to let a broken foot cramp our style, we’ve been going about normal Dartmoor business, albeit with a few extra stops and picking our walks more carefully. Amelie’s foot is actually suddenly a lot better (we dunked it in the healing waters of Exmouth, renown Raymond medicine for feet…) and she has managed really well in her boot thing, which is far better than a cast.
One of our favourite walks is going upstream at Dartmeet; we went two years ago when I was pregnant with Bene. Do you remember the “you woz ‘ere” photo? Well, this time he is.
Despite it being quite a trek with crutches, I needed to take this photo. So we did. Bless Amelie, she’s shown real grit and determination with this injury.
It’s a great walk though, lots of scrambly rocks that aren’t too tricky (Amelie could do them, which made her happy after not being able to do them over the river at Bellever) and plenty of shady picnic spots. It’s incredibly pretty and can be a short walk or a big long uphill walk that takes you back to Pixie’s Holt.
Another place we love is the quarry behind Haytor. I took amazing photos of this last year but never blogged it. This year it was slightly less beautiful because despite it being the same time of year, the heatwave seems to have worn Dartmoor out and it feels ‘shot’, like summer has passed and it is ready for Autumn.
The quarry is still gorgeous, a strange secret dell of harsh cut lines into the granite and Victorian machinery left behind from the days of the mining.
There is something that really calls my soul when I see old pieces of metal like this, from the days when to be strong, something had to be big and heavy.
In amongst all the man made change, are pools filled with waterlilies. It’s magical. There is no other word for it.
This girl, as someone pointed out on Instagram, has sass.
So does this boy, methinks.
They are bigger in this than last year too.
Beautiful part of the world (but then, I am biased!). Such lovely photos too. x