23 January 2007
See Tors at National Park Visitor Centre
The processes of weathering and erosion have formed Dartmoor’s tors over millions of years. They have seen the fall of the dinosaurs, ice ages, and the first humans arrive, 10,000 years ago. Today, they maintain their vigil over the landscape, providing a haven for wildlife and a place for recreation. They are part of what makes Dartmoor one of Britain’s breathing spaces, a place of inspiration and challenge, of quiet beauty and solitude. To celebrate these iconic landforms, a new exhibition has opened at Dartmoor National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown.
The exhibition, entitled Tors, contains superb images in black and white, by regional photographers Piers Howell and David Smithson, and the stunning colour imagery of Lee Pengelly and Rob Hutchinson. The exhibition is supported by full colour panels explaining the origins of Dartmoor tors and free educational factsheets to take away.
Tors is running at Dartmoor National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown until Sunday 4 March. The Centre is open Daily, 10 am - 4 pm. The Centre will then be closed from Monday 5 March - Friday 9 March inclusive for annual maintenance.
If you would like to find out more about Dartmoor’s fascinating geology, visit www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk and click on Learning About. You can view the popular online exhibition, Dartmoor Rock, and download factsheets and leaflets.
Princetown is accessible by public transport. For timetable enquiries please telephone Traveline on 0870 608 2 608 or visit www.traveline.org.uk (external link, opens new window) .
Ends
For Further Information
Piers Howell
Tel: (01363) 866236
www.piershowell.com (external link, opens new window)
Lee Pengelly
Silverscene Photography
Tel: (01752) 500346
www.silverscenephoto.co.uk (external link, opens new window)
Rob Hutchinson
Oyster Photographic
Tel: (01626) 836114
dartmoorphotos.co.uk (external link, opens new window)
David Smithson
Tel: (01392) 875625
For Further Information from Dartmoor National Park Authority
Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority
Tel: (01626) 832093
Notes for Editors
Agendas for full Dartmoor National Park Authority meetings and Dartmoor National Park Authority planning meetings are available on the Authority's website The Agendas are placed on the Authority's web site 7 days in advance of the meetings.
You can receive an e-mail notification each time a News Release is issued by the Dartmoor National Park Authority (see www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk and click on In the news).
News Releases from all UK National Parks (external link, opens new window)
Piers Howell A.R.P.S.
Piers Howell is a keen amateur photographer, whose exhibition work in black and white uses the completely traditional photographic methods of medium-format rangefinder cameras and the production of prints in a darkroom with archival processing. Piers has been walking on Dartmoor regularly for several years, and finds the wide-open spaces and plentiful fresh air an ideal complement to office life. The themes of cloud, stone, trees and water are a constant inspiration. Dartmoor images have featured strongly in several solo exhibitions in recent years at Exeter, Crediton and Dartmoor National Park Authority’s High Moorland Visitor Centre, Princetown.
Lee Pengelly
Lee is a landscape and nature photographer based in Plymouth, Devon.
His work is published widely throughout the UK in magazines, calendars, greeting cards and postcards. Lee also supplies work to picture agencies, selling to UK and international clients. Lee has had two books published, Devon Moods and Devon’s Beautiful Buildings. Lee has a great love of the landscape and gets great pleasure from standing beside his camera and tripod in all weathers, capturing the changing light on the land.
Rob Hutchinson
Rob has been a professional photographer since 1999, selling enlarged images and photocards of Dartmoor, and his work has been taken world-wide. Rob accepts commission work, including for the Woodland Trust. One of his images was selected for the Dartmoor National Park Authority’s Corporate Christmas card in 2004. Rob has also had work published in the Dartmoor News. Other Dartmoor interests include the Dartmoor Rescue Group, which he records on film, and the Ashburton Hash House Harriers. Future projects include updating a Dartmoor Website, and a four seasons photo book on Dartmoor.
David Smithson
David was born in Kilwinning, Scotland in 1968. At the age of 18 he studied photography at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie (ENSP) in Arles, France, where he was the youngest student to be accepted at the school at that time. This was followed by a degree in documentary photography at Nottingham Polytechnic in 1990. David photographed in India and Sri Lanka from 1990 to 1993 and worked in the Czech Republic, Indonesia and Argentina until 1996. In 1996, he settled down for 7 years
in Cardiff where he worked as a medical photographer. In 2003 he set out on a freelance documentary and landscape photography career, and now divides his time photographing in Indonesia and Devon. He is available for long or short-term commissions.
High Moorland Visitor Centre, Dartmoor Gallery Programme 2007 - 2008
Robin Armstrong 10 March 2007 – 6 June 2007
Exhibition of wildlife paintings in oil/watercolour by popular regional artist.
A Celebration of Dartmoor Rivers - Vikky Minett 8 June 2007 – 11 July 2007
Photographic images of Dartmoor rivers by local photographer.
Climate Change 13 July 2007 – 10 October 2007
A Dartmoor National Park Authority exhibition.
Sean Hellman and Lucy Lepchani 12 October – 5 December 2007
A celebration of trees and woodlands– with original photographic images and design in wood by Ashburton based Sean Hellman, and poetry by Lucy Lepchani.
Andrew Cooper 7 December 2007 – 16 January 2008
An exhibition of the work of distinguished and influential television producer, writer, broadcaster, presenter and international award winning wildlife film-maker.
Lucy Evans 18 January 2008 – 2 March 2008
An exhibition of Dartmoor landscape paintings by south west based artist.
National Parks cover 10% of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,400 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
Return to General Interest News Releases
This page last updated 23 January 2007
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Send comments, enquiries, etc. to communications@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk
Page updated 22 January 2007
