Belstone Tor

About Belstone Tor

Rising sharply above its namesake village, this prominent granite ridge marks the northern gateway to Dartmoor’s high moorland. The terrain is defined by weathered outcrops and extensive clitter. It offers an accessible ascent with expansive views across the Taw Valley toward the massive, dark silhouettes of Yes Tor and High Willhays.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely stems from the Old English 'belle' and 'stan', possibly referring to a 'ringing stone' or simply the bell-like shape of certain granite outcrops found on the ridge.
• •To the south of the summit lies the Nine Maidens, a Bronze Age stone circle; local folklore claims the stones are maidens petrified for dancing on the Sabbath, though they are also known as the Seventeen Brothers.
• •A notable feature on the southern approach is 'Irishman’s Wall', the remains of a failed 19th-century enclosure attempt that was famously torn down by local commoners defending their traditional grazing rights.
• •The summit offers a clear perspective of the northern moor's industrial past, overlooking the remains of the Knack Mine and the steep-sided valley of the River Taw.
• •The tor exhibits classic Dartmoor granite weathering, with distinct horizontal jointing caused by 'unloading', where the rock expanded and cracked as the weight of overlying layers was eroded away over millions of years.
• •While it is officially classified as a Tump, most visitors treat it as a glorified grandstand for watching the weather roll in from the Atlantic across the Cornish border.