Dartmoor & Exmoor
North Hessary Tor
517M
1696FT
About North Hessary Tor
Dominating the skyline above Princetown, this granite-topped Tump is instantly recognisable by its towering television mast. The ascent from the village is straightforward, crossing rugged moorland to reach a summit that offers clear views over the prison towards the jagged profile of Great Mis Tor and the distant Plymouth Sound.
Key Statistics
Rank
18th Highest in Region
Parent Range
England
Prominence
?
63m
Nearest Town
Princetown
Geology
The ground beneath you is solid granite. It formed from a massive pool of molten rock that cooled slowly deep underground to create Dartmoor.
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX578742
Latitude
50.5502°N
Longitude
4.0086°W
Did You Know?
- •The summit is home to a 230-metre high television transmitter; the structure is so prominent it serves as a primary navigational beacon for walkers across much of western Dartmoor.
- •Historically recorded as 'Hisworthy Tor', the name is thought to derive from the Old English for a 'high enclosure', likely referring to the ancient grazing lands that sit below the ridge.
- •From the summit rocks, walkers look directly down onto the grey granite blocks of HMP Dartmoor, providing a stark perspective on the isolated, high-altitude setting of the 19th-century prison.
- •This tor marks a significant point on the 'Perambulation of the Forest of Dartmoor', a traditional boundary circuit first recorded in 1240 to define the limits of the Royal Forest.
- •It is perhaps the only tor on the moor where you can enjoy a remote summit experience while maintaining a full five bars of mobile signal, courtesy of the massive steel structure sharing the peak.