Clovelly Village on Film. 35mm and medium format.

Written By Whoisbenjamin .

Earlier this year, I visited Clovelly Village in North Devon not once, but twice. My first trip was during the quiet calm of January, followed by a return in the month if May when the warmer weather has arrived. Both visits offered unique perspectives, and I chose to document them entirely using film cameras, aiming to capture the soul of this historic coastal village with authenticity and depth.

My choice of film used was Kodak Portra 160 on my medium format cameras, the Yashica Mat 124G and Mamiya 645. For 35mm I used Kodak Gold and they were taken on my Nikon F3. This gave me lots of choice and freedom across all the cameras. The Yashica medium format shoots 6×6cm squares, giving me some challenge with composing these.

The village itstelf has been around for quite some time and is very popular with a lot of history behind it. Dating back to the 14th century and it’s situated on a 400ft cliff, this will lead you down to the harbour and hotel. Walking through the village is feels like stepping back in time. There is barely anything along the route down making it feel like the current times.

If you can visit Clovelly on a warm summers evening and the tide is in, the water can look blue, you will see people drinking pints outside the pub, boats coming and going and I even once seen a man dressed up as a pirate singing and dancing on the harbour wall.

When visiting you will access the village via the visitors centre near the car park where you pay to get in, once you have walked down be prepared for the walk back up.

Back when I took these photo I hd only been self developing film for a few months and I was generally happy with the results. Both of my medium formats cameras I have to work out the exposure with a light meter and during high contrast situations this can be tricky to balance. Other than that, I’m sure if I do visit again I shall return with some more photos and add them to this post.

Here you can see a styled wedding photoshoot I took part in at Clovelly.

29.5.25

Blue ocean water meeting grey Stoney Beach with forest running in background
Small white and blue fishing boat in cobbled Harbour the Sun is rising from behind
Small white and blue fishing boats in cobbled Harbour the Sun is rising from behind
narrow cobbled street with cottages running down either side with red and green plants in front gardens
Two yellow Wellington boots with red and purple flowers growing out of the top on brown cobbled pavement
To white cottages on cobbled Street with blue ocean on horizon in between them there are purple flowers in the front garden
Large white building with red tiled roof next to fishing Harbour there are people sat on table drinking
Small fishing boats in Stonewall Harbour with cottages in foreground with floral gardens
Small white fishing boat on blue ocean water with green forest in the background during daytime
grey pebbled beach with fishing nets on the ground with white and red cottage in background
Narrow cobbled Street with cottages running down either side with floral gardens there is a pub opposite with a black-and-white sign
White cottage with floral baskets outside of window, the flowers are green and pink
White cottage with orange chimney on cobble Street with Union Jack bunting hanging by the windows
White cottages with orange chimneys on cobbled pavement there are floral baskets with red flowers
Two small white fishing boats on golden sand and Harbour the tide is coming up around them
Blue and white fishing boat with Union Jack flag on roof the Sun is rising from behind
Cottage made out of stone next to fishing harbour with balcony and junior Jack’s flying
Cobble Street with white cottages running along either side there are street signs and flowers in the middle
White cottages running up hillside with grey tiled roofs and forest in background
Cottage with brown pots out the front with large green and red flowers growing all over
White cottages with grey roofs running down cobbled Street you can see the blue ocean on the horizon
Small fishing boats looking through cottage window out onto Harbour with orange lamp hanging from ceiling
White cottages on Cowell Street with green and purple flowers running underneath the windows
Large cottage made from stone next to village fishing Harbour there is a small boat on the beach
Small fishing harbour with large grey pebbles there are cottages running up the hillside in the background underneath blue sky
Two white cottages with floral gardens with cobbled pavement you can see the blue ocean between them
White cottages with grey cobbled street running down the middle with floral gardens during sunset
small white fishing boats on golden sand inside stone wall harbour
Small fishing harbour made from stone with white and blue fishing boats on golden sand during sunrise
Whoisbenjamin .
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