Dartmoor & Exmoor
Ausewell Rocks
325M
1066FT
About Ausewell Rocks
Tucked away above the Dart Valley near Buckfast, this atmospheric granite tor sits within ancient woodland recently opened to the public. The summit offers a rugged, 'lost world' feel, with moss-covered boulders and dramatic views peering down through the canopy toward the river and the distant spire of Buckfast Abbey.
Key Statistics
Rank
97th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Dartmoor
Prominence
?
33m
Nearest Town
Buckfast
Geology
The rugged ground beneath you is made of slate and hardened mudstone. These layers formed from ancient sand and silt that were squeezed into solid rock.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Holne Chase
Ashburton Hill
Terrace Walk Hill
Ashburton Down
Summerhill
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX735717
Latitude
50.5314°N
Longitude
3.7862°W
Did You Know?
- •Long a hidden corner of the moor, these rocks and the surrounding woodland were strictly private until 2021, when a partnership between the National Trust and the Woodland Trust opened the area to the public.
- •The name is likely derived from the Old English 'osle', meaning blackbird or ouzel, a bird often found in the damp, wooded cloughs of the Dart Valley.
- •From the highest outcrops, you can look directly down the wooded gorge of the River Dart toward the prominent tower of Buckfast Abbey and the neighbouring Iron Age hillfort at Hembury Woods.
- •The hill is a rare example of temperate rainforest, where the high humidity of the valley supports a lush carpet of Atlantic bryophytes and rare lichens across the granite boulders.
- •Navigating the dense, boulder-strewn slopes can feel more like a rainforest expedition than a typical Dartmoor stroll; it is one of the few places on the moor where a compass is less useful than a sturdy pair of knees for scrambling.