Wistmans Wood

This is a recent watercolour of mine of Wistmans Wood a remote and magic place in the valley of the West Dart river near Two Bridges on Dartmoor. It is a rare relic of ancient woodland, stunted and distorted oak trees growing out from moss covered boulders with many ferns and lichens making it an underworld of greens. The name is probably derived from Wisht-man's wood pixie-led or haunted, and it was thought to be a place used by Druids and has many tales of ghosts and the devil attached to it. It feels far too peaceful for these tales to me and seems more a place of quiet meditation.