It was a very wet miserable day, the worst yet since starting my road trip and being in North Devon.  I not want to stay stuck in my little cottage all day so headed out with just my compact camera, waterproof jacket to nearby Saunton Sands.

Wet Stormy Walk along Saunton Sands

On such a wet stormy Saturday in December there were not many others mad enough to come out except a few dog walkers.

It would rain hard and then stop for a brief spell.  I needed waterproof trousers as well as jacket.  When Im settled, working, I rarely go out on a rainy day.  But here in beautiful north Devon my time was more valuable and needed to use it.

High Key

Rain droplets were hitting the lens even on my small canon compact.   You need to remember to keep checking it and wipe it down with a microfiber cloth.  The dog walkers in the high key minimalist composition above were the obvious focal point.  Without them present it would not have made a photograph.  The small silhouette of their figures also adds scale.

Saunton Sands is a very long beach running all the way to the estuary of the river Taw.  Following the river inland will take you to Barnstaple.  Running all along the eastern end are some fantastic sand dunes, where I took a little cover from the driving wind.  The sand dunes aka Saunton Burrows stretch inland as far as the eye can see.

Saunton Down

Even on a wet day like this its still good exercise to get out walking.  I was going to walk all the way along Saunton sands to the Yaw Estuary.  But with the driving rain turned back half way towards Saunton Downs.

Checking my Ordnance survey online map a road run around the downs towards Croyde bay and Woolacombe with a few laybys and viewpoints.
I headed back to my car to check out the viewpoints overlooking the beach.

I would love to come back to these beaches along the north Devon with better conditions and light and still without the crowds.  Here are various viewpoints shot around Saunton Sands with my mobile phone camera.