7 SPECTACULAR DARTMOOR TORS

FUR TOR (SX 588 831; 572m) Described by William Crossing in 1909 as ‘perhaps the grandest of Dartmoor tors’, Fur Tor mixes dramatic size with isolated, sculptural magnificence. The name may derive from a medieval word meaning further or remote.

YES TOR (SX 581 902; 619m) Drive along the A30 and this is the tor that stands out. Yes Tor was long thought to be the highest point on Dartmoor, but it’s actually High Willhays, at 621m, just to the south.

GER TOR (SX 546 831; 435m) Not a big tor or seemingly that special until you reach the tumbled edge, where Tavy Cleave, with the river winding its way through a steep-sided valley, looks quite spectacular.

GREAT MIS TOR (SX 563 769; 538m) lives up to its prefix. This tor is big and wild, with stunning views over the surrounding moor. Encircled by vast swathes of clitter, it’s sobering to imagine how this tor must once have looked. HAYTOR, OR HAYTOR ROCKS (SX 757 771; 457m) Surely Dartmoor’s most visited tor. Visible for miles and easy to reach, this domed granite lump was so popular that the Victorians cut steps into the rock to allow easy access to the summit.

SHEEPS TOR (SX 566 683; 369m) At various times this outcrop has been recorded as Sitelestorra, Skyteletor, Shistor, even Shittestor. Perhaps the eventual appearance of the name Sheep marks just another case of flustered Victorian redefinition.

HOUND TOR (SX 743 790; 414m) In two crenelated blocks, Hound Tor also gives its name to a nearby medieval settlement, where the remains of 13th- and 14th-century longhouses still offer a remarkable impression of the deserted village.