Documenting two decades of farming life on the Blackdown Hills.

Somerset-based photographer Pauline Rook has photographed the Blackdown Hills landscape for almost 20 years. Over this period she has explored hundreds of miles of country lanes and paths, getting to know the individuals, countryside and buildings that make up this distinctive landscape. The exhibition will bring together over 50 photographs and includes a selection of Pauline’s most recent work, captured using the infrared techniques she began to learn during lockdown.

Back in 2002, Pauline was commissioned by the Countryside Agency to create a photographic record of the Blackdown Hills. Her brief was to capture the ‘spirit and essence’ of the area. The commission ignited a love of this unique corner of Somerset. The countryside and photography have been lifelong passions to Pauline, who spent almost 20 years dairy farming in Somerset. This fuelled her desire to document the wonderful characters of the farming world.

Suffolk cross sheep near Dalwood. Photo: Pauline Rook

Lower Farm, Yarty Valley. Copyright @ 2009 Pauline Rook