HOLLYWOOD director Steven Spielberg has spoken of his awe at filming on Dartmoor and said he has "hardly scratched the surface" of what it has to offer.

The acclaimed figure, responsible for the cinematic classics Jaws, ET, Schindler's List and Indiana Jones, spent several weeks filming on moorland near Meavy during the summer.

The scenes were filmed for Disney's forthcoming big screen adaptation of War Horse.

In an letter to The Herald, the Academy Award winner said: "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor.

"And, with two-and-a-half weeks of extensive coverage of landscapes and skies, I hardly scratched the surface of the visual opportunities that were offered to me."

Surrey-based production company, Afterworks Ltd, issued the letter to thank the people of Sheepstor and Dartmoor for their "patience and support" during the filming.

The letter, which was signed off by 'The cast and Crew of War Horse', states: "Afterworks Ltd has now completed principal photography in Sheepstor and the surrounding areas of Dartmoor.

"We have had an incredibly successful shoot and every member of our substantial crew has commented on what a great experience the shoot in Dartmoor has been.

"We faced many logistical challenges working in the narrow lanes and villages on Dartmoor with our extensive film unit.

"The patience and support of the local community was critical in allowing us to safely and quickly move from place to place in search of the best shots and the best light to shoot them."

The letter states the moorland weather was a "constant concern", but the conditions ended up being perfect to complement the scenes.

"The programme of restorations at Ditsworthy Warren is well under way, and within a few months there should be little or no sign that a large film unit had set up operations in such a beautiful part of Devon," the letter adds.

"We wanted to thank all the residents of Sheepstor and Meavy and the surrounding communities on Dartmoor for their support throughout our stay in Devon, without their help co-operation and patience we would not have been able to achieve so much in such a short space of time."

The film War Horse is based on a novel of the same name by Devon writer Michael Morpurgo.

The book tells the moving story of a horse sold to the cavalry and then shipped to France during World War One, and his young owner's mission to bring him home.

Actors involved in the film include Oscar-nominated Emily Watson and David Thewlis, who played Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter films.

Filming of War Horse comes two years after Tim Burton descended on Antony House in South East Cornwall to film Alice In Wonderland starring Johnny Depp.