Dartmoor & Exmoor
Newel Tor
346M
1135FT
About Newel Tor
Rising above the village of Henwood on the eastern fringes of the Dartmoor region, this modest granite outcrop offers a quieter alternative to the more famous nearby peaks. Reaching 346 metres, the summit provides a rugged, heathery platform with clear views across to the distinctive, stacked silhouettes of the Cheesewring and Sharp Tor.
Key Statistics
Rank
78th Highest in Region
Parent Range
England
Prominence
?
62m
Nearest Town
Henwood
Geology
You are walking across solid granite from the Bodmin Intrusion. This foundation formed when molten rock slowly cooled and hardened deep beneath the earth's surface.
Classifications
Nearby Fells
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX236741
Latitude
50.5400°N
Longitude
4.4908°W
Did You Know?
- •The name likely originates from the Cornish 'An Hewel,' meaning 'the prominent' or 'the visible,' referring to the tor's position overlooking the Lynher valley.
- •The summit offers an excellent vantage point for observing the industrial archaeology of the area, specifically the engine houses and spoil heaps of the 19th-century Phoenix United Mine.
- •To the north, the massive stone ramparts of the prehistoric hillfort at Stowe's Pound are clearly visible, marking one of the most significant archaeological sites in the south-west.
- •On a clear day, the eastward view stretches across the Tamar Valley toward the high peaks of central Dartmoor, while the rugged spine of Kilmar Tor dominates the horizon to the north.
- •The approach to the tor requires picking a line through 'clitter'—the local term for the apron of granite boulders that have weathered and fallen from the main stack over thousands of years.