Hartland Quay
Introduction
In early 2017 after a week in Lofoten with Tom Mackie I was poring over Ordnance Survey maps of the English, South West coastline seeking potential locations for coastal photography. I spotted Hartland Quay; Situated on the coast with a hotel and a campsite not too far inland it appeared to have potential as a photographic location. After some online research I decided it was worth exploring and so chose to stay at the hotel in March of that year for a couple of days. Whilst I recall the weather not being great with wind rattling aging sash hotel windows, I do recall being captivated by the sea cliffs and the rocky/sandy beaches. Back then, Hartland Quay got recorded in my log as a place with potential and worth revisiting.
It was in late summer this year that I returned for a weekend with friends and was reminded of its potential and my earlier log entry. So, after some further research including the selection of a week compatible with tide heights/times I returned in October this year, choosing to stay at the near-by Stoke Barton campsite for a week.
Top-tip. I highly recommend keeping a log; It’s somewhere to record ideas and places that peek interest. Once recorded, entries are not forgotten and what’s more they can be researched, developed and then associated information recorded for future use. Information such as when is the best time to visit? Is the location best at high tide, at low tide or what height tide is desired for a photograph? Keeping a paper log is an approach and may be appropriate for some but I propose paper is less durable, less portable and would get messy very quickly as ideas are researched and information revised. My log is electronic. Just recently it moved from an application called Evernote to Apple Notes due to concerns about the stability of the company behind Evernote. But the application is actually not that important as such note taking applications are available for all mainstream compute platforms be it Windows, Mac, Linux, Apple IOS, Android etc. Electronic form is very portable, doesn’t get messy - if maintained - and can be content rich. For example, my note about Hartland Quay includes contact information and web links for the hotel, the campsite, text and thumbnail images about possible photographs, text identifying at what tide height exit across the beach is cut-off etc. In electronic form it’s possible to always carry the log so if your plans change whilst on location you stand a good chance of having the information needed.
Earth's Forces Unveiled
At Hartland Quay and the surrounding area it’s the sea cliffs and their eroded remains protruding from the sandy beach like the skeletons of long dead leviathan’s that I find most interesting. I’m no geologist but the rocks are truly impressive. They were laid-down as sediments in a shallow tropical sea, rich in marine life during the geological Carboniferous period and have been compressed and transformed into alternating layers of sandstone, shale and limestone during the intervening millennia. Today they are not just the edge between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Devon countryside but are a story of geological forces etched into the very fabric of the landscape. I find the dramatic cliffs and skeleton-like rocks a captivating photographic subject as it’s possible to make photographs that freeze moments in time and capture the essence of a place where the past and the present coalesce.
Shipwrecks and Trade
While the geology of Hartland Quay provides a geological narrative spanning eons, the human history is equally compelling. The harbour was initially constructed in the 16th century in the reign of Henry VIII and the pier/quay followed some time later. The harbour has now gone with the pier succumbing to the North Atlantic Ocean in 1887. The anchorage provided by the rocky cove made Hartland Quay a strategic location for maritime trade and the transportation of goods. During its heyday Hartland Quay bustled with activity. Cargo vessels laden with goods ranging from slate to grain anchored in the sheltered harbour waters, ready to unload their precious cargo. The quay facilitated the export of local products and the import of essential goods, becoming a vital hub for the economic life of the region.
However, the unforgiving nature of the North Atlantic took its toll on many vessels attempting to navigate the treacherous waters. The coastline on which Hartland Quay sits became notorious for shipwrecks, with the remnants of stranded vessels becoming a haunting reminder of the challenges faced by mariners. The area is dotted with wrecks each telling a story of perilous journeys and the indomitable power of the sea. A recent shipwreck associated with this part of the Devon coastline is that of the Johanna, a Panamanian-flagged Dutch coaster that ran aground a little to the North at Hartland Point at the end of 1982. Although now almost completely gone, some remnants can still be seen at low tide.
The Wrecker's Retreat
Clearly I’m not the first stills photographer to have discovered Hartland Quay; It’s also been used as a movie location several times. This is evidenced by a visit to the hotel bar, “The Wrecker's Retreat”, whose walls are adorned with photographs of the rocks, of the quay and of the many wrecked ships. A visit is well worthwhile to see what others have done and thus what to avoid and to see the historic photographs of the quay and wrecked ships as they form a historical record capturing moments in time. I feel that landscape photographs are important too as the coast is a dynamic environment changing a little every day as erosion takes its toll.
Tides, Safety and Dynamic Conditions
Photographing around Hartland Quay comes with challenges common to coastal photography, primarily the dynamic conditions of a coastal environment. Tide height is pivotal, not only does it dictate the visible elements of a photograph but it also constrains access to the beach/coast. It’s important to know whether the tide is heading out or coming in and at what tide height the lowest part of your access route becomes cut-off. This is especially important on a rising tide when it’s not possible to see your entire access route which can be the case at Hartland Quay. Don’t rely on finding a way up the cliffs either, they are high and constituted of loose/crumbly rock and grasses. Something I’ve seen many times on beaches and which, quite frankly, scares me silly is people sunbathing, sitting, playing etc right at the bottom of sea cliffs with seamless disregard to the tons of loose rocks immediately above them. Even a single, small rock is going to cause injury. So please be careful.
The unpredictable weather of the Atlantic adds an element of spontaneity to photography sessions. During my week at Hartland Quay the weather had many characteristics; some days were cloudless with strong late-summer sunshine, other days were cloudy and one day very, very foggy! So foggy that you couldn’t see more than 5-6m! That fog was too dense to be photographically useful and when it did clear in the late afternoon it revealed cloudless skies. Fortunately the sea was never stormy but there was usually an onshore wind which drove spray towards the beach/rocks and was a constant source of work as the exposed front-surface of lenses or filters were quickly covered in a briny layer which constantly needed to be removed. This leads to some more of my top coastal photography tips:
1. Carry plenty and probably more than at first seems reasonable, lens cleaning cloths / liquids. Once cloths are contaminated with, even a small amount of, sea spray they just smudge and smear. I carry several large micro-fibre cloths but primarily many single use lens wipes. These are small and lightweight so it’s easy to pack many and on use each is uncontaminated by spray.
2. Keep you camera bag close and if a rucksack then preferably on your back. If its on the ground ensure it can’t be reached by that errant higher wave…
3. Keep your camera bag closed so spray doesn’t get inside an onto your equipment
4. Check and if necessary, clean your lens prior to every exposure.
5. Clean all gear at the end of the day or as soon afterwards as possible.
A Visual Symphony of Earth and Time
Photographing the geology of Hartland Quay is a journey into time and something which I greatly enjoyed. The sculpted cliffs and the dynamic conditions converge to capture the essence of a place where the Earth's history is etched into every rock. It’s a place that has huge potential and to which I’m sure I’ll return.
Andy
All images are copyright Andy Gawthrope Photography.
Select an image from the gallery to enlarge.
