Corndon Tor [Corndon Down]

About Corndon Tor [Corndon Down]

Rising gently above the East Dart Valley near Poundsgate, this broad, grassy ridge is capped by weather-worn granite and significant Bronze Age archaeology. It offers an accessible ascent with a rewarding panorama that spans across to the jagged profile of Sharp Tor and the deep, wooded cleft of the Dart gorge.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely derives from the Old English 'corn', meaning crane or heron, and 'dun', meaning hill, suggesting this was once a favoured spot for large wading birds to be sighted from the valleys below.
• •The summit is dominated by three massive Bronze Age cairns; the largest is nearly 20 metres in diameter, serving as a prominent landmark that underscores the hill's ancient ceremonial importance.
• •From the summit rocks, you gain a clear view of the 'triple-peak' profile of Yar Tor to the west and the steep, clitter-strewn slopes of Mel Tor dropping into the Dart valley.
• •It is frequently climbed as part of a popular circuit from Bel Tor Corner, linking it with Yar Tor and Sharp Tor to overlook the dramatic meeting of the East and West Dart rivers.
• •Despite the 'Tor' in its name, the hill is geologically a broad 'Down'; its granite outcrops are subtle and understated, clearly content to let the massive prehistoric burial mounds do the heavy lifting of impressing visitors.