For safety I phoned a neighbour, Hatt Reiss, and together we set off for Scorhill Circle on Gidleigh Common. There were no foot prints and the virgin snow lay deep on the common, with small tuffs of gorse pushing through warning us of its depth. ..... I have never seen Dartmoor looking so beautiful. The sun by now was beginning to sink in the West and the wind whipped the snow on the surface sending it scuttling across in ghostly curls. I could see Scorhill, but with every step it didn’t seem to be getting nearer and I was very tired.
He is an early riser, up at dawn, whereas I work into the night. Chris would be on permanent stand-by ready to disappear off into the mist to film whenever the light inspired him…snow, hail or frost. And the result is his beautiful footage. .... We set out to get under the skin of Dartmoor and two years later, feel that aim has been achieved. Wild River, Cold Stone is our version of a bottled essence of the beautiful place that we are lucky to be able to call ‘home’.
CC filming Scorhill Circle, Feb’09
Scorhill Circle, Gidleigh Common Feb’09
Courtenhay & Ivan Mortimore,
Yardworthy Pony Drift, Dartmoor 2007
Chris Chapman, Kate King, Seth Lakeman & Nigel Shaw
Southcombe Hill, Feb’09
at the museum of Dartmoor Life
Saturday 3rd - 31st October
10.30am - 4.00pm
Exhibition admission £1 per person,
to support the museum
The making of Wild River, Cold Stone was supported by:
Dartmoor Sustainable Development Fund
Devon County Council
Dartmoor National Park Authority
Duchy of Cornwall
Videotel
Devon Artsculture
The Dartmoor Society
