Synopsis: A walk in a winter wonderland, the forest of Haldon covered in snow. The sun was shining and it was surprisingly warm. Five roe deer darted across my path. A little snow on the beach at Dawlish.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)
Tree tops glisten, is how the songwriter put it, and that was truly what I would see today. It was however rather touch-and-go whether I’d actually make it out on this walk, as there was no sign of my bus to Torquay that I needed to get me up on Haldon. I was told that the buses at Torquay couldn’t exit the depot because of snow. Eventually, a little over an hour late and chilled through from standing around, I did depart the bus station on my bus. It was to be a relatively short bus ride for me, as all I required was a short ride to the top of Telegraph Hill. I got the impression that there was little call to stop there normally, as the driver mumbled something about, “Ah, so that’s where the bus stop is.” As I made my way in the direction of the forest I noticed the few people on the bus watching me, probably wondering where the hell I was going. Little did they know of the treat that was in store for me.
Haldon Forest
I only had to walk a couple of hundred metres from the bus stop to be transported into another world. All the trees were white and glistening in their fresh covering of snow. The sun, although very low in the sky, was strong and bright. The deep blue sky made a gorgeous back-drop for my photos. The road I walked was slippery being covered in compacted snow from the few vehicles that had come this way. The snow ploughs evidently never come this way.
Haldon Forest
A friend of mine recently said to me how quiet he found walking in snow, and I understood what he meant. Once I’d left the noise of traffic from the busy A380 behind me all was quiet apart from the crunch of snow under my boots. I can’t explain why it seems so quiet, or say whether it’s an illusion or actual phenomenon, but it was wonderfully peaceful. Possibly it being, as well as Mum’s birthday, the last shopping Saturday before Christmas, might have something to do with the tranquillity in which I was left to enjoy my walk.
Haldon Forest - The Obelisk
I don’t find snow easy to photograph. I look for what the light is doing, and hope that it will show me the good photographs, and it usually does. Luckily the light on this day was excellent for snow, bright and crystal clear, making everything three dimensional.
Haldon Forest - The Obelisk visible through the trees
As I climbed a gentle incline towards the Haldon Obelisk five roe deer darted across my path not far from where I stood. Unfortunately I wasn’t quite close enough to get a good photograph, which I will blame on the limitations of my camera. To be fair, it’s fine for the vast majority of the photographs I look to take, and it’s only these odd little ‘action’ photos that I miss as I don’t have the means to get close enough to get the shot (at least that’s my excuse).
Haldon Forest - The Obelisk
From the Haldon Obelisk I stopped momentarily to take in the glorious view from this vantage point. This was the first time I’d seen this landscape in snow, and it was a sight to behold.
I did take a wrong route from near hear, ending up in private woods marked with ‘No public access’ signs, which encouraged me to backtrack to the road and follow that way down the hill.
Haldon Forest - lunch spot
Looking over a gate I saw a field with a vast expanse of a view across the snow covered valley, and here I chose to hop over the gate and stop for lunch. Although I was sitting in snow, the strong sun made it seem quite warm, and I felt not the least bit chilled as I ate my lunch.
Haldon Forest - looking back to The Obelisk
After lunch I regained the track I was walking and continued on my way in the direction of Dawlish. I could look back over my shoulder and see the Haldon Obelisk peeking out between the trees behind me. The snow was already beginning to melt away on the south facing slopes of the hills. Occasionally here and there I would catch a glimpse of the view out over the mouth of the River Exe.
Dawlish - snow covered beach
As I approached Dawlish I picked up a footpath to my left which took be atop a hill overlooking the town and out to see. From here I was given a good impression of the steep sided valley location of Dawlish. Continuing along this footpath I was soon in Dawlish town and headed for the beach. Here I still found a little snow on some of the beaches.
This was a walk I have had ‘up my sleeve’ for quite a while, in that I’d pondered some time previously how I’d get out in snow when it should come, not now having a car. This had been my plan, and it worked well. Walking through Haldon Forest after snow transported me to another world, and one that I’d happily go back to. Bring on the snow!
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 8.9 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 32min
Stopped Time: 1hr 22min
Total Ascent: 179 metres
Maximum Elevation: 252 metres
Buses: D, X46 & 2
