Brent Tor

About Brent Tor

Rising abruptly from the western edge of the moor, this iconic volcanic plug offers one of the most distinctive profiles in Dartmoor. Classified as a Hump, the hill is capped by a lonely medieval church, its steep slopes providing a short, sharp climb with views bridging the high tors and the Cornish border.

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Did You Know?

• •The name 'Brent' is likely derived from the Old English word 'brant', meaning steep, while 'Tor' comes from the Celtic word for a rocky peak. Together, the name perfectly reflects the hill's dramatic, isolated rise from the surrounding plateau.
• •The hill is the remains of an extinct basaltic volcano that erupted on the seabed approximately 350 million years ago. This makes its dark, volcanic rock geologically unique compared to the vast granite masses that form the rest of the Dartmoor landscape.
• •The summit is home to the 12th-century Church of St Michael de Rupe, which translates to 'St Michael of the Rock.' Legend claims the church was built by a merchant who vowed to construct a chapel on the first land he saw after nearly shipwrecking during a storm.
• •Looking west from the church porch, the view extends over the Tamar Valley to the distant silhouettes of Brown Willy and Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor. To the east, the massive, flat-topped bulk of Great Mis Tor dominates the skyline.
• •Because the volcanic rock sits just inches beneath the surface, the churchyard’s graves are famously shallow. Local lore suggested this was to keep the departed 'closer to heaven,' though it was more likely a practical concession to the limitations of a hand-swung pickaxe.