Avon Dam

By: Blonde One

Little Miss Blonde and I had a very agreeable walk up to the Avon Dam and beyond. As you can see from the photos, the weather was perfect. The last time I visited here it was pitch black and very icy. Blonde Two and I were being led out onto the open moors by some strangers: we were doing a rescue scenario for Ashburton’s branch of Dartmoor Search and Rescue.

The reservoir on this trip was very low because there hasn’t been any substantial rain for ages. It wasn’t low enough for us to see the medieval village remains under the water but we did see something strange. It doesn’t show up well in the photo but if you enlarge it you will see some odd circles in the water. The crop circles of the reservoir created by some mysterious beings from outer space perhaps?

I haven’t been able to find out much about the dam itself except that it was finished in 1957 and is 300 yards long. What I do know though, is that it was beautiful and not at all a ‘blot on the landscape’. Somehow it added to Dartmoor’s beauty and provided a perfect blend of rural and urban. If you haven’t been yet, it is well worth a look.