Return to Lydford and the Long White Dress Of Love

Our previous visit to Lydford Gorge was the autumn before last; our return trip was at the request of my partner in poetry, who wanted to see it at a different time of year.  

One of the disadvantages of working in a school is that you have to take your holiday during school holiday time. Normally this isn't too much of a problem on Dartmoor, which is big enough and bleak enough to be secluded even during August, but Lydford Gorge is owned by the National Trust and very popular with the  Labrador and Barbour Brigade.

We managed to keep a bit of a space for ourselves while walking the one-way system through judicious speeding up and tactical standing to one side as appropriate. 

Peeing in the White Lady fountain helped also. (Just kidding.)

The waterfall, although less full this time of year, is still the Long White Dress Of Love.  

And the verdant mosses and ferns make the whole ravine feel jungly ...  

  

... or even Rivendellesque.

In fact, Peter Jackson could have saved a fortune on CGI and air tickets for the entire production to  New Zealand. 

Although speactacular, Devil's Cauldron was also less full than during more wintry months.  

 

Anyhow, we had a appointment at the village pub.