Dartmoor & Exmoor
Challacombe Down
463M
1519FT
About Challacombe Down
Rising above the valley of the West Webburn River, this broad, grassy ridge offers an atmospheric walk through Dartmoor’s prehistoric past. It is best known for its impressive triple stone row and proximity to the abandoned medieval settlement at its foot. From the crest, the massive bulk of Hameldon looms to the east.
Key Statistics
Rank
35th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Dartmoor
Prominence
?
38m
Nearest Town
Teignbridge
Geology
You are walking across solid granite, formed from a massive pool of molten rock that cooled and hardened deep beneath the earth’s surface.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX689804
Latitude
50.6085°N
Longitude
3.8542°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is derived from the Old English 'cealf' (calf) and 'cumb' (valley), suggesting the area was a favoured spot for grazing young livestock centuries before the nearby medieval farms were established.
- •The eastern slope is home to one of Dartmoor’s most significant prehistoric monuments: a rare triple stone row stretching over 140 metres, terminating at a large burial cairn known as the Giant’s Basin.
- •From the summit, walkers gain a unique bird's-eye view of the 'lynchets' on the hillside—stepped cultivation terraces created by medieval farmers that still ripple across the landscape today.
- •The high point offers an excellent vantage point to study the layout of Grimspound, the famous Bronze Age walled settlement situated across the valley between this hill and Hookney Tor.
- •While officially classified as a Tump, most visitors treat the hill as a scenic hurdle to be cleared on the way to the Warren House Inn, one of the highest and most isolated pubs in England.