So, today I found myself facing the following questions:
Have you recently fitted stuff to the car?
Is the weather good?
Are you as bored as a bored thing?
Is the camera charged?
Answering yes to all of the above (Dual Optics and 172 spoiler, hottest day of the year so far, VERY bored, and new set of batteries bought earlier in the week), I decided to go for a trip across Dartmoor. Living in the middle of a busy city such as Plymouth, it's hard to imagine that with just 10 minutes driving you can find yourself out in the country hammering some back roads. But that's absolutely the case. I quickly got my car washed, loaded all my stuff up, loaded up the driving playlist on my phone and hit the road. In the city it's as busy as hell with everyone going out and about, enjoying the sunshine. It's surprising how quickly it changes. One second you have houses either side of the road, then bushes, then wide open space. And by wide open space, I mean great rolling plains, massive hills, maybe the occasional forest or river, but mainly the road in front of you, grass, and sheep. Unsurprisingly it's popular amongst petrolheads, the last time I was up there I ended up driving behind an Aston V8 Vantage and a Porsche Boxter, but there are always fast cars up here. But today it's late in the afternoon, and most of the cars have left Dartmoor. It's just me, and a fairly empty road.
Now I'm not going to pretend I'm in a fast or particularly tidy car. It's a 1.2 which has been crashed on the motorway twice. But once it's up to speed, and the cheap induction kit is growling away, it doesn't matter what you're in. Driving on Dartmoor is fantastic no matter what vehicle you're in. Whilst you're in constant danger of running over a sheep...
...because Dartmoor is so open and flat you can generally get some real speed on, and still be able to see plenty far enough ahead to stop. I drive past a layby, and see the view from it. I know straight away that this is my first photo location. The next couple of minutes is spent trying to find a junction to turn around in to go back. I find one, go back and park up. I get out and realise I've parked half in the shadow from a tree, so I get back in and pull forward a bit. I find my vantage point, set up the tripod, plonk the camera on top of it, and set up for the first few pictures. Click. Click. Click.
Happy with my first few shots, I jump back in the car and get back on the road. Shortly after, I pass through the gate that signifies the edge of Dartmoor National Park. After that, I get another chance to pull over, and get more shots in. Watching my back the entire time as a nearby ram is taking some interest in me, I take a shot...
...then with a bit of careful manoeuvering to avoid dropping into the potholes around the car, I turn it around for another shot.
It takes me a while to find the next photo location. Not because of lack of suitable views, but because I was having too much fun driving. It's addictive, the views are breathtaking and my favourite songs are playing one after another. It was definitely a good decision to go for a drive today. For those ten minutes or less, I was free. Again, another layby offers itself and I pull in.
After another 10 minutes or so back on the road, I pass through Princetown and on the way out couldn't resist stopping for another photo. In the background is HMP Dartmoor, once home to some of the most dangerous men in Britain, but now only a home to minor criminals. Still impressive, and there is barbed wire all over the place nearby.
Back on the road, and I'm still keeping speed up, only occasionally coming across the odd car. There are as many tight, highly cambered corners as there are wide, sweeping bends. Often the visibility is good enough that you can use the whole road, keeping your foot in, clipping the apex and running out wide on the exit. There's even humpback bridges with enough visibility of the other side that you can safely get all four wheels right off the ground. It's a great place to drive quick and therefore it comes as no surprise that occasionally the police come up here to train its drivers at speed. Another layby appears, with a gate and a small fence next to it. I pull over and take this:
While I'm there I decide to take another shot from up high. I hold the camera up as high as I can, use one hand to shield the screen and the other to press the shutter. Click.
One final stop at the base of a small rocky hill (Dartmoor's full of these) to get the last couple of shots of the day. I can't decide which one I like better, so I've posted both.
And that was it. Time to turn around and head back. Now I'm no longer looking for places to pull over, I can fully concentrate on enjoying the driving. If anything, the drive back was better than the drive out. Sadly all good things come to an end and all too soon I found myself back in Plymouth amidst the hustle and bustle. All that was left to do is get home, make myself a cold drink, fire up the laptop and write this.
Thanks for reading, and especially thanks to Šįk (aka Piers.) for inspiring me to write this all up. I hope this thread inspires you all to go for a drive too, no matter what car you own.
McG.
Have you recently fitted stuff to the car?
Is the weather good?
Are you as bored as a bored thing?
Is the camera charged?
Answering yes to all of the above (Dual Optics and 172 spoiler, hottest day of the year so far, VERY bored, and new set of batteries bought earlier in the week), I decided to go for a trip across Dartmoor. Living in the middle of a busy city such as Plymouth, it's hard to imagine that with just 10 minutes driving you can find yourself out in the country hammering some back roads. But that's absolutely the case. I quickly got my car washed, loaded all my stuff up, loaded up the driving playlist on my phone and hit the road. In the city it's as busy as hell with everyone going out and about, enjoying the sunshine. It's surprising how quickly it changes. One second you have houses either side of the road, then bushes, then wide open space. And by wide open space, I mean great rolling plains, massive hills, maybe the occasional forest or river, but mainly the road in front of you, grass, and sheep. Unsurprisingly it's popular amongst petrolheads, the last time I was up there I ended up driving behind an Aston V8 Vantage and a Porsche Boxter, but there are always fast cars up here. But today it's late in the afternoon, and most of the cars have left Dartmoor. It's just me, and a fairly empty road.
Now I'm not going to pretend I'm in a fast or particularly tidy car. It's a 1.2 which has been crashed on the motorway twice. But once it's up to speed, and the cheap induction kit is growling away, it doesn't matter what you're in. Driving on Dartmoor is fantastic no matter what vehicle you're in. Whilst you're in constant danger of running over a sheep...
...because Dartmoor is so open and flat you can generally get some real speed on, and still be able to see plenty far enough ahead to stop. I drive past a layby, and see the view from it. I know straight away that this is my first photo location. The next couple of minutes is spent trying to find a junction to turn around in to go back. I find one, go back and park up. I get out and realise I've parked half in the shadow from a tree, so I get back in and pull forward a bit. I find my vantage point, set up the tripod, plonk the camera on top of it, and set up for the first few pictures. Click. Click. Click.
Happy with my first few shots, I jump back in the car and get back on the road. Shortly after, I pass through the gate that signifies the edge of Dartmoor National Park. After that, I get another chance to pull over, and get more shots in. Watching my back the entire time as a nearby ram is taking some interest in me, I take a shot...
...then with a bit of careful manoeuvering to avoid dropping into the potholes around the car, I turn it around for another shot.
It takes me a while to find the next photo location. Not because of lack of suitable views, but because I was having too much fun driving. It's addictive, the views are breathtaking and my favourite songs are playing one after another. It was definitely a good decision to go for a drive today. For those ten minutes or less, I was free. Again, another layby offers itself and I pull in.
After another 10 minutes or so back on the road, I pass through Princetown and on the way out couldn't resist stopping for another photo. In the background is HMP Dartmoor, once home to some of the most dangerous men in Britain, but now only a home to minor criminals. Still impressive, and there is barbed wire all over the place nearby.
Back on the road, and I'm still keeping speed up, only occasionally coming across the odd car. There are as many tight, highly cambered corners as there are wide, sweeping bends. Often the visibility is good enough that you can use the whole road, keeping your foot in, clipping the apex and running out wide on the exit. There's even humpback bridges with enough visibility of the other side that you can safely get all four wheels right off the ground. It's a great place to drive quick and therefore it comes as no surprise that occasionally the police come up here to train its drivers at speed. Another layby appears, with a gate and a small fence next to it. I pull over and take this:
While I'm there I decide to take another shot from up high. I hold the camera up as high as I can, use one hand to shield the screen and the other to press the shutter. Click.
One final stop at the base of a small rocky hill (Dartmoor's full of these) to get the last couple of shots of the day. I can't decide which one I like better, so I've posted both.
And that was it. Time to turn around and head back. Now I'm no longer looking for places to pull over, I can fully concentrate on enjoying the driving. If anything, the drive back was better than the drive out. Sadly all good things come to an end and all too soon I found myself back in Plymouth amidst the hustle and bustle. All that was left to do is get home, make myself a cold drink, fire up the laptop and write this.
Thanks for reading, and especially thanks to Šįk (aka Piers.) for inspiring me to write this all up. I hope this thread inspires you all to go for a drive too, no matter what car you own.
McG.
