Dartmoor & Exmoor
Kilmar Tor
396M
1299FT
About Kilmar Tor
Dominating the skyline above the village of Henwood, this massive granite ridge is one of the most impressive landmarks on the eastern moors. Characterised by weathered rock stacks and extensive clitter slopes, the summit offers a rugged, wild character and a superb vantage point for surveying the Tamar Valley.
Key Statistics
Rank
57th Highest in Region
Parent Range
England
Prominence
?
118m
Nearest Town
Henwood
Geology
You are standing on the Bodmin Intrusion, a massive block of solid granite that pushed up from deep within the Earth.
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX252748
Latitude
50.5468°N
Longitude
4.4686°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is believed to stem from the Cornish 'kil', meaning back or ridge, and 'meur', meaning great—an apt description of its prominent, spine-like appearance.
- •From the summit, the distinctive rock stacks of the Cheesewring and the sharp profile of Sharp Tor are clearly visible to the south.
- •Looking eastward, the view extends across the Tamar Valley to the high peaks of central Dartmoor, including the distant silhouette of Great Mis Tor.
- •The tor is surrounded by extensive 'clitter' slopes—vast fields of granite blocks scattered by periglacial weathering during the last ice age.
- •While its height falls just short of the 400-metre mark, its relative prominence earns it the classification of a Hump, or a hill with a hundred-metre prominence.
- •The boulder-strewn slopes provide an excellent test of ankle stability; in this terrain, the 'path' is often more of a hopeful suggestion than a physical reality.