3 Great Places To Take Photographs on Dartmoor
OK, I’m going to come clean here at the outset.
I’ve done a deep dive into what gets you noticed on search engines, and having a blog entry that talks about locations you can take photographs in your local area is something that seems to work.
Let’s ignore the fact that it won’t sell any prints or photoshoots and is unlikely to get you anything but non-interacting traffic (and, if anything, likely a load of idiotic, ill thought out questions) let’s just feed the ridiculous algorithms like good little fleshy automatons 🤣
I should probably point out, that this is indeed a serious list - these “are” great places to take photographs on Dartmoor, they are easily accessible, close to one another and I’ve been there myself numerous times.
That doesn’t mean I can’t be my usual incredibly “witty” self whilst I recommend them 😜
Foggintor Quarry
Very close to the famous Dartmoor town of Princetown (that of Dartmoor Prison fame) Foggintor Quarry; though having some really quite dangerous bits to be wary of; is accessed by what ostensibly was once a railway, so the surface if fairly flat and solid underfoot.
It’s believed that the area was originally quarried to build the Tor Royal, other buildings in and near to Princetown as well as the prison from 1785, though there only seems to be “official” records from the early 1800’s.
At that time it was known as Royal Oak Quarry.
I did a photography walk here with The Museum of Dartmoor Life volunteers, where you’ll find a great deal more photographs 😍
The flooded main quarry at Foggintor
I prefer to approach the quarry from the entrance to Yellowmeade Farm (others favour the walk from Princetown) here’s the thing, the entrance to Yellowmeade Farm is an entrance - don’t park like an asshole and don’t drive down that track unless you have business at the farm. It’s not rocket science. You can see other views I hold on my irregular blogging entries I like to call “Stuff I think but don’t post about on Social Media as I don’t want to add to the increasing enshittification of the Internet”.
Whilst we’re on the subject, Foggintor Quarry lies outside the permitted “backpack (wild) camping area” so don’t camp there for likes on your Instagram posts.
As I’ve already mentioned, if you’re at all interested in my viewpoints on things like rich, powerful people telling us plebs what we can and can’t do, or less rich assholes doing whatever they fancy with no regard for anybody but themselves, then take a look at my other blog entries. Basically I don’t like anybody!
The history of the area is amazing, I’m always on the look out for more information about the industrial workings in the location, and you can’t do any better than to look at Dartmoor Explorations, Steve, the guy behind the website, decided to investigate different areas of Dartmoor as a diversion after he retired and his investigations are thorough and enlightening.
Check out the references at the end of this blog entry to get a little more in depth.
There’s a plethora of interesting things to see, and I’m not going to go into details here (plenty of much better informed people than I have already documented some of the stuff to look for).
Here, however are some things to look out for:
Do not attempt to enter the flooded quarry from the first gap you discover if you are unsteady on your feet, or aren’t happy to jump down from a rocky ledge, to another rocky ledge - instead walk further along the track and enter from the other side (alternatively, climb above the quarry and you’ll eventually see the best route into the flooded area) … this has it’s own disadvantages, one being if you suffer from fear of heights 😂
I’ve heard many people say there are leeches in the water, this is true, and I’ve seen them myself. I’ve also been informed, they are horse leeches and therefore not interested in human blood (I have zero evidence to back this up).
This is a flooded quarry and all the usual warnings about such bodies of water apply!
Merrivale Stone Rows
A last minute shoot - as I drove back across the moor, the mist dropped and I stopped off to grab a few shots
“Merrivale is probably the best known and most visited of the prehistoric sites on Dartmoor, partly due to its ease of access and partly due to the wealth of monuments that greet the visitor.”
Merrivale Stone Rows are easy to get to, and hence, they’re photographed a fair amount.
I tend to pop to the rows when I’m in the area on my way to other locations, as the ancient stones are a very short walk from what is known locally as “Four Winds Carpark”, the location of the old school building for the children of the workers at Foggintor Quarry.
The Merrivale Antiquities (as they are sometimes referred to) include, not only the stone rows but a small stone circle, cairns, a cist, and a standing stone. All within maybe a ten minutes walk from the road. The nearby remains of a Bronze Age roundhouse settlement (on either side of the B3357) making it possibly Dartmoor’s most complete prehistoric landscape, and most definitely one of the easiest to get to.
I’ve taken portraits as well as landscape photographs at Merrivale, and although it can be busy at times, you can usually find it clear on a misty or rainy day.
Staple Tors
From a visit in March 2025
Staple Tors. Little, Middle and Great Staple, are a particular favourite for photographers because of the very human habit of seeing forms in rocks ( Pareidolia ) or, maybe, as they’re a fairly easy trek from the road!
I’ve regularly seen groups of photographers gathered around in small herd’s with camera’s atop tripods, waiting here for sunrise … I personally don’t subscribe to this type of photography and although I will plan a walk so that I should be somewhere interesting around sunrise or sunset, I never expect anything and am always ready to move on and see what Dartmoor may bring me over the next rise.
To be fair, I don’t think I’ve ever caught a sunrise here (though I did grab a great one at Roos Tor).
References & Websites
Foggintor Quarry references
Dartmoor Walking - an excellent potted history of the area with plenty of photographs, a route plan and locations to visit.
Moorland Ramblings - awesome description of the area and it’s history, a route plan starting out in Princetown
Legendary Dartmoor - amazing historical resource (with great references) and interesting stories about Dartmoor
Ash Blagdon 360º Photographer - brilliant 360º images of parts of the area around Foggintor Quarry
Dartmoor Explorations - 100% recommended for the history of Foggintor and Swell Tor Quarries
Merrivale Stone Rows references
Visit Dartmoor - details on the complex and visitor information
Dartmoor Preservation Association - Interesting “Story” Walk blog entry about the area.
Stone Circles - Great older resource with images, maps and a 360º Panorama
The Devonshire Association - fantastic research paper into the layout of the Merrivale site
Moorland Ramblings - Another brilliant description of the area, with photographs and a map
Staple Tors references
Dartmoor Walks - A great resource for routes, history and what you can expect to see when you’re there
Treks And Tors - Brilliant website that gives detailed information of an area and photographs of their own walks there
GPS Cycle & Walking Routes - Downloadable maps to print out (so you don’t get lost)
Rocking Chair Fuel - Another great route for your adventure