Working Life on Dartmoor

January 8 - March 25

Working Life on Dartmoor

A stunning exhibition of carefully selected photos reflecting working life on Dartmoor goes on show at the High Moorland Visitor Centre at Princetown on January 8.

The photograghs were taken by award-winning photographer Dianne Jane Giles, who moved to Tavistock in 2015. Dianne has had work published in national magazines and in the 2016 BBC Countryfile Calendar.

She said she was ‘thrilled’ to be exhibiting at the visitor centre.

‘I gave up my job at the end of March to pursue this photographic project as I really wanted to have the time to photograph my subjects and get to know them,’ said Dianne. 

‘The majority of the photographs have been taken between that time and the end of September when I had to start working again, but I very much view this as an ongoing project.’

Dianne said she chose the subjects to capture after thinking about the trades, crafts and activities taking place on the moor.

‘It soon became clear that there was a vast selection so I’ve basically chosen, for the exhibition at Princetown, the people who live and/or work on Dartmoor and all seem to have connections with one another. So for example, Adam Hyne of Dartmoor Thatch put me in touch with farmer Jenny Morris, who put me in touch with Ulli the vet from Moretonhampstead - and so it goes on.’

Dianne feels the exhibitions shows a side of Dartmoor that’s rarely seen - she also hopes the photos reveal something intimate and a ‘behind the scenes sense’ of the people who live and work here.

‘There are many very beautiful photos of the landscape but we often don’t see the characters and the working side of Dartmoor and I hope the images make people realise that behind the beautiful scenery, there’s a whole close community of people making a living here, all helping and supporting each other,’ said Dianne.