Pete Herring
@peteherring.bsky.social
Cornish and European landscape archaeologist and historian
Storm water rushes along the Grimstone Leat on Pew Tor Common, Dartmoor.
A simple slab bridge helps sheep, cattle and ponies, and now walkers and their dogs, over the barrier.
Neatly done with a paved floor and a kerb of low upright stones keeping the leat's flow in line.
Possibly later medieval.
A simple slab bridge helps sheep, cattle and ponies, and now walkers and their dogs, over the barrier.
Neatly done with a paved floor and a kerb of low upright stones keeping the leat's flow in line.
Possibly later medieval.
November 19, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Storm water rushes along the Grimstone Leat on Pew Tor Common, Dartmoor.
A simple slab bridge helps sheep, cattle and ponies, and now walkers and their dogs, over the barrier.
Neatly done with a paved floor and a kerb of low upright stones keeping the leat's flow in line.
Possibly later medieval.
A simple slab bridge helps sheep, cattle and ponies, and now walkers and their dogs, over the barrier.
Neatly done with a paved floor and a kerb of low upright stones keeping the leat's flow in line.
Possibly later medieval.
Late autumn oaks in the Teign valley.
November 16, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Late autumn oaks in the Teign valley.
Three times a gatepost.
First a slip-bar post in which planks or shivers were run into the chiselled slots.
Then fitted with a heavy farm gate using the nearer hinges.
And now, from the 19th century, a daintier wrought iron churchyard gate.
Walkhampton, #Dartmoor.
First a slip-bar post in which planks or shivers were run into the chiselled slots.
Then fitted with a heavy farm gate using the nearer hinges.
And now, from the 19th century, a daintier wrought iron churchyard gate.
Walkhampton, #Dartmoor.
November 2, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Three times a gatepost.
First a slip-bar post in which planks or shivers were run into the chiselled slots.
Then fitted with a heavy farm gate using the nearer hinges.
And now, from the 19th century, a daintier wrought iron churchyard gate.
Walkhampton, #Dartmoor.
First a slip-bar post in which planks or shivers were run into the chiselled slots.
Then fitted with a heavy farm gate using the nearer hinges.
And now, from the 19th century, a daintier wrought iron churchyard gate.
Walkhampton, #Dartmoor.
Surviving setts of the 19th century Liskeard and Caradon Railway near Gonamena.
First horses and then steam engines pulled wagons up to Bodmin Moor between these stone hedges.
To take coal for mine engines and collect ores and granite blocks from mines and quarries.
#Cornwall
First horses and then steam engines pulled wagons up to Bodmin Moor between these stone hedges.
To take coal for mine engines and collect ores and granite blocks from mines and quarries.
#Cornwall
September 21, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Surviving setts of the 19th century Liskeard and Caradon Railway near Gonamena.
First horses and then steam engines pulled wagons up to Bodmin Moor between these stone hedges.
To take coal for mine engines and collect ores and granite blocks from mines and quarries.
#Cornwall
First horses and then steam engines pulled wagons up to Bodmin Moor between these stone hedges.
To take coal for mine engines and collect ores and granite blocks from mines and quarries.
#Cornwall
The basaltic shoreline of Co Antrim, northern Ireland
September 2, 2025 at 9:46 AM
The basaltic shoreline of Co Antrim, northern Ireland
This stone has been perched on a moorstone on the slopes of Kilmar for a very long time: observe the erosion shadow beneath it.
It is also a beautiful eye-catcher in a place with many other boulders.
Ravens stand on it, and rabbits gather here too, as can be seen. Perhaps people did too?
#Cornwall
It is also a beautiful eye-catcher in a place with many other boulders.
Ravens stand on it, and rabbits gather here too, as can be seen. Perhaps people did too?
#Cornwall
August 7, 2025 at 10:12 AM
This stone has been perched on a moorstone on the slopes of Kilmar for a very long time: observe the erosion shadow beneath it.
It is also a beautiful eye-catcher in a place with many other boulders.
Ravens stand on it, and rabbits gather here too, as can be seen. Perhaps people did too?
#Cornwall
It is also a beautiful eye-catcher in a place with many other boulders.
Ravens stand on it, and rabbits gather here too, as can be seen. Perhaps people did too?
#Cornwall
July 30, 2025 at 8:55 AM
A sun-dappled seal petroglyph in the Fulford Harbour estuary on Salt Spring Island, Canada.
Made by Saanich people.
Made by Saanich people.
July 29, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A sun-dappled seal petroglyph in the Fulford Harbour estuary on Salt Spring Island, Canada.
Made by Saanich people.
Made by Saanich people.
At the Saturday Market, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, Canada
June 2025
June 2025
July 26, 2025 at 9:17 AM
At the Saturday Market, Ganges, Salt Spring Island, Canada
June 2025
June 2025
Folding of waves, mountains and clouds on the evening ferry back to Salt Spring Island from Crofton.
July 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Folding of waves, mountains and clouds on the evening ferry back to Salt Spring Island from Crofton.
Starlings have displaced purple martins from their natural nesting places so people build nest boxes for them, as here, on the old ferry terminal at Vesuvius Bay, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
July 11, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Starlings have displaced purple martins from their natural nesting places so people build nest boxes for them, as here, on the old ferry terminal at Vesuvius Bay, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
Stone clearance heap in a colonialist's 1870s orchard on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
July 10, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Stone clearance heap in a colonialist's 1870s orchard on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
Back from visiting parents in Canada.
A colonial boundary style still in use on Salt Spring Island. Meadow against woodland, separated by a split-cedar fence lifted off the ground by stones and held in place by weight and gravity.
A colonial boundary style still in use on Salt Spring Island. Meadow against woodland, separated by a split-cedar fence lifted off the ground by stones and held in place by weight and gravity.
July 5, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Back from visiting parents in Canada.
A colonial boundary style still in use on Salt Spring Island. Meadow against woodland, separated by a split-cedar fence lifted off the ground by stones and held in place by weight and gravity.
A colonial boundary style still in use on Salt Spring Island. Meadow against woodland, separated by a split-cedar fence lifted off the ground by stones and held in place by weight and gravity.
Bridge across the Bedalder.
From Great Care to Hard Head.
And from Cardinham parish to Warleggan.
It was already there in 1748 when mapped by Thomas Martyn.
And that great white cone is a lot later: the sky tip of the Glynn Valley Clayworks.
From Great Care to Hard Head.
And from Cardinham parish to Warleggan.
It was already there in 1748 when mapped by Thomas Martyn.
And that great white cone is a lot later: the sky tip of the Glynn Valley Clayworks.
June 4, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Bridge across the Bedalder.
From Great Care to Hard Head.
And from Cardinham parish to Warleggan.
It was already there in 1748 when mapped by Thomas Martyn.
And that great white cone is a lot later: the sky tip of the Glynn Valley Clayworks.
From Great Care to Hard Head.
And from Cardinham parish to Warleggan.
It was already there in 1748 when mapped by Thomas Martyn.
And that great white cone is a lot later: the sky tip of the Glynn Valley Clayworks.
Approaching the very fine livestock bridge on the Yelverton - Princetown railway track.
Built to allow grazing cattle, sheep and ponies to cross the line safely.
Built to allow grazing cattle, sheep and ponies to cross the line safely.
May 30, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Approaching the very fine livestock bridge on the Yelverton - Princetown railway track.
Built to allow grazing cattle, sheep and ponies to cross the line safely.
Built to allow grazing cattle, sheep and ponies to cross the line safely.
Into Devon to find Denham Bridge, crossing the Tavy.
The rock carved away to allow the left hand arch to accommodate a fiercer flow.
The rock carved away to allow the left hand arch to accommodate a fiercer flow.
May 25, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Into Devon to find Denham Bridge, crossing the Tavy.
The rock carved away to allow the left hand arch to accommodate a fiercer flow.
The rock carved away to allow the left hand arch to accommodate a fiercer flow.
Roof boss in Bradstone church west Devon, dated 1718.
Apparently depicting the eclipse of 2nd March that year, when c33% of the sun was eclipsed by the moon at c 7.30 in the morning.
Apparently depicting the eclipse of 2nd March that year, when c33% of the sun was eclipsed by the moon at c 7.30 in the morning.
May 21, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Roof boss in Bradstone church west Devon, dated 1718.
Apparently depicting the eclipse of 2nd March that year, when c33% of the sun was eclipsed by the moon at c 7.30 in the morning.
Apparently depicting the eclipse of 2nd March that year, when c33% of the sun was eclipsed by the moon at c 7.30 in the morning.
Dew on dandelions and grass in Great Close in the early morning.
April 27, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Dew on dandelions and grass in Great Close in the early morning.
The medieval Moor.
Lazy beds in outfield strips on Rough Tor's lower slopes below us.
Beautifully preserved strip fields on Bronwenelyn (Brown Willy) in the distance.
And the ancient semi-natural grassland supporting summer-time cattle, sheep and mare grazing on Hamatethy Common in between.
Lazy beds in outfield strips on Rough Tor's lower slopes below us.
Beautifully preserved strip fields on Bronwenelyn (Brown Willy) in the distance.
And the ancient semi-natural grassland supporting summer-time cattle, sheep and mare grazing on Hamatethy Common in between.
April 1, 2025 at 10:29 AM
The medieval Moor.
Lazy beds in outfield strips on Rough Tor's lower slopes below us.
Beautifully preserved strip fields on Bronwenelyn (Brown Willy) in the distance.
And the ancient semi-natural grassland supporting summer-time cattle, sheep and mare grazing on Hamatethy Common in between.
Lazy beds in outfield strips on Rough Tor's lower slopes below us.
Beautifully preserved strip fields on Bronwenelyn (Brown Willy) in the distance.
And the ancient semi-natural grassland supporting summer-time cattle, sheep and mare grazing on Hamatethy Common in between.