Hameldown, Dartmoor

Last night I decided to return to the great hill of Hameldown, Dartmoor, where a couple of weeks ago I spent a few happy hours walking its full length and back again. I noticed then the colours of the gorse and heather beginning to deepen, but that morning’s light wasn’t the best to accent them. I’ve been waiting for an evening, an hour or so before sunset, when the light would be just right, before the colours began to fade, and last night’s was near enough. In two hours I met two ladies on horseback with their two dogs, lots of ponies and many sheep. I was convinced for a while that there was nowhere better in the world.