Venford brook and waterfall

On the steep road uphill from Ashburton to Poundsgate, I find myself turning off for Holne. At Holne I find myself continuing toward Venford reservoir. A sudden idea: I could photograph a favourite Hawthorn tree on the minor road to Combestone Tor. I pull in to the car park beyond the reservoir to walk up the hill, but then don’t.

That ‘secret’ waterfall along Venford brook. Not such a secret – I’ve seen a hundred photographs of the place: all pretty much the same view. And I’ve ignored it for pretty much that reason. In almost three decades of photographing on Dartmoor I’ve never been there, and decide I have nothing to lose by finding it. Wet, windy, occasional driving hail, and appallingly muddy – with everything in my favour I realise I’ve no idea where to find it, so follow the brook very steeply downhill.

Proceed gingerly, slide, trip on a twist of tree roots, descend further then ascend for a while (annoyingly) then descend, slide, trip again. I feel there might be easier ways but am enjoying the chaos, so repeat these manoeuvres over and over.

To the valley floor, alongside the brook, where deep mud makes even standing still a challenge. Moss everywhere – Dartmoor does it so well, especially in such a wet season. Am I seeing tree branches and roots or giant spiders’ legs? Photographs make descriptions redundant.

Several almost impenetrable sections. Go back, or walk on? Go on, of course – it’s an adventure. Following the arc of the brook, the waterfall is reached in good time. Not large or spectacular, but despite the woodland detritus it’s quite beautiful. Of course I photograph it, and even quite like the results. Shame on me.

Not much time left, and I head steeply uphill, looking back toward the waterfall without seeing it, zig-zagging to make climbing easier, believing it will lead to a high point where I’ll see the car park. At the top there’s an obvious path directly from the car park to the waterfall, trod by a hundred sheep and a thousand photographers. My way is better, for me. Before heading to the car I continue to my hawthorn tree. That photograph isn’t here. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it yet.