January brought us both our coldest and mildest winter weather in one neat package, so this collection features some broody landscapes and also some nice blue sunny skies. The blue skies were the very cold days.
This first batch are a random selection from a photo walk in Teignmouth. I will be doing a seperate post later describing Teignmouth and telling you some more about the place.
Teignmouth is a small sea port on one side of a bar and a traditional seaside resort on the other side of the bar, so it is a town of two halves, both maritime. So here is a selection of anchors.
The wind was bitter and easterly and although the thermometer said it was five degrees C there were frozen puddles caused by the wind chill effect. It's almost impossible to use a camera with small buttons while wearing woollen gloves so it was a challenge that involved alternating short spells of clicking away ungloved with short spells gloved and hands buried in pockets.
This is the tiny church at Ringmore. It has stood here for hundreds of years looking out to sea. A walk down the valley brings you to Ayrmer Cove.
Inside the church is this beautiful but poignant memorial window featuring the White Cliffs of Dover as well as the trenches of a far off land, with armed soldiers, barbed wire and heavy armaments. It also has a biplane in the sky which marks it as a First World War monument.
Also in the church at Ringmore is this rare painted wall believed to be mediaeval at least. What do these symbols represent? To me, they felt like heavenly eyes watching me through the clouds.
Some later 19th century painted furniture.
A short visit to Slapton Ley on one of the coldest mornings of the month where the warmth of the sea kept the ley free of ice. It is a nature reserve and this is one of the storage buildings for the keepers.
The water in the foreground is fresh and the other side of the distant Slapton Line is the open sea of Start Bay. The concrete structure is a World War 2 remnant from a time when this whole area was evacuated for live firing and beach landing rehearsals for US troops preparing for D-Day.
Down in Ayrmer Cove, mentioned above, and looking east is the top of Burgh Island and the small square structure is a huer's hut.
Ayrmer Cove is one of my new favourite places, because of its remoteness and it's rock formations.
The South West Coast Path descends right down to the beach at this point. Just a red speck in the distance, a walker stops to consult their map.
