Haytor Rocks

About Haytor Rocks

Dominating the eastern skyline of Dartmoor, these twin granite tors offer an accessible yet rugged introduction to the moor. The short, grassy approach leads to weathered rock stacks that require a scramble for the highest point. From the summit, the Teign Estuary and the English Channel are clearly visible.

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Did You Know?

• •The name likely stems from the Old English 'heah' (high) and 'torr' (rock), a straightforward description of its position overlooking the Vale of Wray and the lowlands towards the coast.
• •Below the rocks are the remains of the Haytor Granite Tramway, a unique 19th-century transport system where wagons ran on 'rails' carved directly from granite blocks rather than iron.
• •Stone quarried from this site was used in some of London’s most famous landmarks, including the 1831 version of London Bridge, the British Museum, and the pillars of the National Gallery.
• •The main tor features a series of iron handrails and steps cut into the rock in the mid-1800s, originally designed to help Victorian tourists reach the summit safely.
• •Looking west from the peak, the high moorland rises toward the TV mast at North Hessary Tor, while the view south-east picks out the Teignmouth coastline and the red sandstone cliffs of the South Devon shore.
• •The presence of Victorian safety railings should not be taken as a sign of a tame environment; the Atlantic weather can turn this modest 457-metre tor into a very serious place in a matter of minutes.