Devon: Porlock Weir

We spent a day down at the pretty coastal village of Porlock Weir, a few miles along the coast from Lee Abbey. Our brief was to seek to capture the essence of the place. There has been a port here for over 1000 years, though many of the cottages, some of them still with thatched roofs, date from the 17th century. The harbour is tidal (and again, the tide was out!) and mainly now used for leisure craft. The bay is relatively sheltered and there is a tale told of how, in January 1899, the Lynmouth lifeboat was unable to put out to sea due to a storm. It was hauled by men and 20 horses over the very steep hills to Porlock Weir, where it was successfully launched and rescued 13 sailors.

I found it hard to know whether to concentrate on the shingle beach: all soft blues, greys and pinks, or the more colourful area around the harbour. In the end, I tried to cover both!