I'd been advised by a friend at work who had lived in north Devon for a while to make a visit to Hartland a priority during the two week holiday my wife Liz and I enjoyed in this beautiful part of the country.
I'm certainly glad I took his advice, as I would have deeply regretted missing such breathtaking (literally!) views.
The coastline on the Hartland Peninsula is nothing short of stunning, with a shoreline comprised of knife edge rocks constantly pummelled by the Atlantic ocean, backed by towering sea cliffs formed from strata twisted by huge forces into tortuous shapes.
The easiest way to access this coastline is to drive down the steep single lane road to Hartland Quay, which boasts a pub, hotel, large car park and toilets - very civilised!
From here the North Devon coastal path winds its way up and down the top of the cliffs, providing excellent views out to sea and a thigh burning leg stretch if you're keen.
But the best views of this amazing coast, I reckon, can be seen just a few paces from the Hartland Quay hotel car park, which is where I shot the three clips making up this video.
It was a relatively calm afternoon on this visit (other times were less benign) with just a gentle Atlantic swell caressing the shore, but even so the effects of the eternal struggle between the restless sea and the immoveable rock was a sight to behold.
Filename - hartland quay 01
Camera - Canon EOS 6D
Lens - 24-105mm zoom
Exposure - Aperture and ISO selected to allow 1/60 sec shutter speed
Filters - Polarising filter used to reduce glare and enhance colours. 2 stop neutral density graduated filter used to reduce the brightness of the sky in all three clips.
Location - Hartland Quay, Devon, England
This clip - HD 720p, 30fps (1080p HD format also available)
Clip duration - 45 seconds
All content copyright © Howard Litherland 2009-2024 unless otherwise stated.