Stroll A sight not seen on Dartmoor for many a year

grebeman

Old Codgers Group
I've not been active on this forum for some time, however I was stirred into thinking about posting again following a pm from Bart (bartjeej) at the weekend asking how I was. I've recently moved house once again back to a more rural location where amongst other things I've been very occupied contributing to a parish bird survey. I'm concentrating on those area that encompass Dartmoor.

My days tend to start off with a steep climb from wherever I can park the car. This morning was no exception, my day began at the gate at the bottom of Diamond Lane, a steep and rocky path used in times past by pack ponies bringing such produce as peat, smelted tin or china clay off the moor.

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

As can be seen the path is challenging sloping up in places at an angle of 45 degrees

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

After some three hours of bird surveying my wanderings bought me to Glasscombe Corner where signs of spring are finally appearing as the wind blown beech trees sprout fresh new leaves.

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

Imagine my surprise when a few minutes later a team of pack ponies came past me, stepping out of the pages of history

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

Here they are fording the East Glazebrook

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

Sam who was leading them tells me they are in training for what he hopes will be a trekking enterprise where he will lead people over the moor but be able to carry all their equipment by pony. His team isn't quite ready yet. The lead pony has a longer head than the others and is probably an Exmoor, the others are Dartmoor with two of them being pedigree animals. They had noticeably shorter skulls, once it had been pointed out to me.

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

After a long chat they begin to wend their way home over the brow of the hill.

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by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

Bumping into these guys was the highlight of my morning, and what started out as a bird survey trip with the idea of beginning to collect a few photographs to post turned into a story that warranted posting sooner than I had expected.

Barrie
 
I've missed you Barrie ....... as I always need you expert advice

I can almost feel the "weather" in your images

Dog looks a big one ...... but on closer inspection is it a greyhound cross or pure greyhound?
 
Dog looks a big one ...... but on closer inspection is it a greyhound cross or pure greyhound?

Bill, he had three dogs, two like the one you can see and a collie. Best I can say is they are dogs. Thankfully they were friendly, well over friendly more like, and they kept quiet. I can handle dogs when they're like that, providing they don't try and eat my binoculars.

Barrie
 
Great to see you posting again, Barrie, and what a stroke of luck to see these pack ponies! The plan for the pony trek sounds a lot like the camel trek I did in Mauritania, where the camels carried our gear, and the guide and I walked alongside them. It was a very enjoyable way of experiencing the Sahara, I'm sure the same would be true for Dartmoor.

Nice series of photos you got, also of your "normal" sights... you really are lucky to be out and about on a daily basis, in such a beautiful area, and with a purpose to boot!
 
Hi Bart, we used ponies during my trekking in the western Himalaya so the sight of them bought back fond memories, as well as illustrating a historical period of the moor.

Barrie
I used to live in the Himalayas for some years and fondly remember the long caravans of packed dzos (yaks) and mules passing in front of the house, especially in the Kali Gandaki valley - all those timeless sights and sounds; the bells, the hoofs on the ground, the whistling and shouting. This has been going on for ages and I miss it a lot.
 
I used to live in the Himalayas for some years and fondly remember the long caravans of packed dzos (yaks) and mules passing in front of the house, especially in the Kali Gandaki valley - all those timeless sights and sounds; the bells, the hoofs on the ground, the whistling and shouting. This has been going on for ages and I miss it a lot.

Hi Ken,

You might find some of these images of interest Leica - M3 in the Himalayas in 1979 (further photographs added Thur 17th May)
 
A most wonderful set of beautiful images, Barrie, wow - thanks for the hint.
I've never been to Himachal Pradesh but spent most of those years in the central and eastern Himalayas - I never felt that much at home like I did in those mountains among those wonderful people. Oh well ...
I still have all the negatives and slides but never scanned any of them. Maybe one day but I'd rather get back and shoot some more ;).
 
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