Friday, 16 December 2011

No 'proper' snow on Dartmoor...yet.

 
We went looking for snow this morning. The weatherman had suggested that snow might fall on the higher moor so, as it was our day off, we went to see if it had. The skies certainly looked threatening enough for snow as we drove up towards Princetown. When the sun cut through the dense cloud, the countryside was startlingly vibrant with the light reflecting off the sodden ground and wet rock faces.
We had to get quite high before we saw some distant snow. Dartmoor prison in Princetown, looked bleaker than ever with its dusting of snow.
 
Even North Hessary TV mast, which stands above Princetown (1673 ft above sea level), didn't have much snow.
 
No snow here, just a covering of icy hail stones.
 
Then we saw the hail showers coming towards us, so dense that the bright sunlight was blotted out. The hail stones were flung with such force in the wind, that they stung any exposed skin.
 
Time to retreat to the car and head home. We were a little too keen to try out the sledges that had  been delivered in the post this morning. They would have to stay in the back of the car for another day.

3 comments:

  1. Harriet, what marvelous photos!!! Would you mind if I use one or two for reference? I'd like to do some landscape painting over the holiday, and I find your pictures so inspiring.

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  2. Hi - Please do use them - I have to say I find watching your paintings develop very inspiring.

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  3. Dartmoor is as bleak as some parts further into Wales from us. The Shropshire Hills are softer, less forbidding. But we always get the snow the minute it falls in Wales.

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