Adam Burton Photography

Adam Burton Photography Professional landscape photographer and qualified drone pilot with A2 CofC (and former PfCO holder)

Just got around to processing this oldie from 15 years ago. Where does the time go!?!
08/09/2026

Just got around to processing this oldie from 15 years ago. Where does the time go!?!

Here is one of the only photos I have of the now lost Holy Well in St Cuthbert’s Cave.Several years ago I wrote a locati...
05/09/2026

Here is one of the only photos I have of the now lost Holy Well in St Cuthbert’s Cave.

Several years ago I wrote a location guide for this cave for the 2nd edition of my Photographing Devon & Cornwall guide book. As that guide still has no publication date, this particular location will never now be published so I thought I would add it into this post:

‘There are some amazing large caves in the cliffs both to the north and south end of the beach.  The most well known of these, St Cuthbert’s Cave, is a remarkable site with origins bound in legend, and from which the beach is named.   

Although relatively unknown amongst today’s visitors to Holywell, this cave once attracted huge numbers of people, thanks to its fascinating geology.  Inside the grotto, a natural spring descending through the cliffs above has formed a series of pools known as the holy well. For a long period it was believed that the water from this sacred well contained miraculous healing properties.

The well consists of a series of cream coloured calcium basins known as speleothems, descending in several tiers.  The rich deposits within the water have created these formations, and are responsible for the unusual mixture of vivid colours to be found in the cave, ranging from red, green, blue and yellow. 

All this provides for some amazing photographic subjects, both for wide angle images and close up details, and yet it is a remarkably difficult location to photograph.  The cave, which is in the cliffs below Kelsey Head, can only be reached during low tide, and access should not be attempted if the tide is incoming as you could become dangerously cut off.  Although the cave itself is easy to access, the holy well is located in an elevated position within the grotto, and needs to be climbed to be appreciated fully.  It’s a very small cramped area, and not easy to move around, let alone with a camera and tripod.  And yet, to truly appreciate the colours in darkness you need a tripod to shoot with a long exposure.

Whether you decide to photograph the holy well or not, don’t miss out on paying a visit if you venture to Holywell Bay; it is a truly unique and historical cave!

Back in July we spent a week in the spectacular Picos de Europa National Park for our Spain summer holiday. While there...
02/09/2026

Back in July we spent a week in the spectacular Picos de Europa National Park for our Spain summer holiday. While there I really wanted to shoot this viewpoint of the incredible mountain range. Unfortunately it was a long drive from our accommodation for a morning or evening shoot, so the opportunity only presented itself during the day when we were driving to our base for the second week.

In the middle of the day, and in the middle of a heatwave I feared it would be a waste of time. Harsh midday sunshine, parched fields and hazy mountains conjured up an image in my mind that made me wonder while we were bothering to take a detour past the viewpoint.

But when we arrived I was very pleasantly surprised. Even during the middle of the day the vista looked bright, colourful and beautiful.

As landscape photographers we are so conditioned to prioritise early and late light that daytime photography can seem like a waste of time, especially in the middle of summer. It really isn’t.

This little stretch of rocky shoreline is believed to be the landing site of Grimur Kamban, the first Viking settler in ...
01/09/2026

This little stretch of rocky shoreline is believed to be the landing site of Grimur Kamban, the first Viking settler in the Faroe Islands.

I think a new photo is long overdue so here is the most recent, taken yesterday of Dartmoor’s resident herd of Highland ...
31/08/2026

I think a new photo is long overdue so here is the most recent, taken yesterday of Dartmoor’s resident herd of Highland cattle.

Brentor in the mist, from a wonderful morning last week
17/07/2026

Brentor in the mist, from a wonderful morning last week

Here’s another from the same morning. I think the heatwave is making me yearn for cold photos 🤣
15/07/2026

Here’s another from the same morning. I think the heatwave is making me yearn for cold photos 🤣

Still going through the archives pulling out new pictures to process. This one from 2023 on a particularly memorable mo...
14/07/2026

Still going through the archives pulling out new pictures to process. This one from 2023 on a particularly memorable morning at Corfe Castle.

Looking forward to getting back to this amazing coastline in a couple of weeks.
11/07/2026

Looking forward to getting back to this amazing coastline in a couple of weeks.

As I often do when I’m on my way back from Brentor, I made a quick stop off to shoot this beech avenue earlier this week...
10/07/2026

As I often do when I’m on my way back from Brentor, I made a quick stop off to shoot this beech avenue earlier this week, which in the misty soft morning light looked better than I can ever remember from many previous visits over the years.

If you are keen to be guided spots like this, I have just one spot available on my autumn Dartmoor Discovery Tour in November next year. Check out my website for more details.

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