Teign Valley, Devonshire, Southwest Devon, England, Sept 2021
Exact location undisclosed, just in case ... I feel it is best left as it is. Those who know will know, or run into this place should they explore the valley. I know for fact these vehicles haven't moved from this location in 30 years or more - I used to live here!
MASSIVE CHILDHOOD CONFESSION STORY TIME!
The small patch of land where all the derelict vehicle shots below were taken, way back in the early 90's used to be owned by a local farmer, when we mistook it for overgrown land (tbh, it was quite a mess) and somehow we ended up throwing some rocks around. Then got one of the old rusty tractors started, somehow in motion, and accidentally (I swear!) drove it through this raggedy market-garden cabbage patch. Only 13-14 years old at the time, we had no idea what we were doing. Just kids gone rampant. A pair of right little pricks!
We were promptly caught down the lane, ending up with a ranting angry upset farmer in dungarees sporting an indecipherable old Devonian accent on our doorstep. Goodness knows how my mother caught the full gist and communicated with the poor old bugger so nicely. My parents had just been about to serve up a roast dinner, so mom packed up a couple of portions, probably a bottle of (duty free French) wine, and contracted us to his service for any terrible jobs he wished for something like 40 hours. That was mom.
Lesson Learnt! Bitch Slapped ... And the vans are still there
We (myself and best friend at the time) saw the error of our ways, and ended up repaying the local farmer with all of the work after school and finishing through an entire long weekend. I forever more learnt to respect the hard working ways of even the most humble farmer. Since that time, I was amazed upon visiting 30 years later that the same spot was still having some of the same and more vehicles, yet untouched now for decades. Some now look like they're becoming almost unsalvagable.
Today, I'm not throwing rocks at these old vehicles. I'm just shooting them.
Times Change, Lands Change, We all grow up!
Although very much the same place, now the land seems to have a couple more houses and has opened up into a section of public footpath and common land, leading along streams to very beautiful protected areas of woodland and riverbank as parts of the Teign Valley. These vehicles can now be seen by anyone walking around here. It is unknown whether it was common land or just being 'borrowed' by the previously storied market gardener, (who's trundling van to and from the Newton Abbot indoor market used to create a traffic tailback, daily - this we actually all came to realize later on!)
So, left in a field now reclaimed by the village community. As if some monument to times past, or just nobody has come forwards to sponsor the removal, cleanup and preservation? An open air motor museum on decay? You decide with your own eyes in the gallery below!
It is through putting these thoughts down I realize I could be one of the few knowing so much backstory about these derelict vehicles, which make for a fascinating sight on this walk in a remote Devon village.
Shot Door
*(above) Totnes is a nearby town in the region of Southwest Devon. This appears to have once come from a company called 'Farm Industries'. History just laying in the overgrowth.
Before We Go On ... Some Quick Surroundings
Narrow Devon lanes with many modern cars parked along, ancient houses now modified and modernized into homes. Many just cottages with 1-2 beds, and some will be holiday homes.
It's the Teign Valley, running very fertile (and sub-tropical in summertime) lowland parts meeting Dartmoor, the River Teign spills out into the estuary and out to sea in Teignmouth. Here we are looking at the soucre and Dartmoor behind.
Stunning Devon Views
Van From Another Valley
The THAMES ... the great river running all the way through London.
Thames DIESEL van. 0-60mph = 2 moons (downhill). Salvagable?
Distracted by the other fields and publicly accessible walks nearby. Birds of prey were also overhead.
There's still some useful bits in there?
Anyone fancy a spot of welding? This would be quite some rebuild that is for certain. I swear there was an entire van here last time I looked (30+ odd years ago) just the rest has actually rotted to nothing.
it's as if the ground is slowly yet surely consuming and swallowing the sorry THAMES DIESEL. Behind, yet another van.
Further old farm tools are 'on display' in this museum of nature's way
A clue to locations. Open to all. One of the most mind blowing old villages around the Southwest of Devon. Do check out the ancient Cridford Inn. The location is Trusham.
Ancient trees
Van-eating trees
A Tractor bush. This wild thistle preys on old small tractors and consumes them slowly and delicately over a period of decades.
Maybe there was a car here once also. Or a van or tractor or tank. Thanks for reading, here's some daffodils ...