Riddon Ridge

Rising above the East Dart River near the hamlet of Babeny, this modest Tump offers a quiet perspective on the central moor. Its grassy slopes provide a softer contrast to the granite-topped tors nearby, serving as a fine vantage point to survey the ancient Dartmoor tenements and the valley towards Dartmeet.

• •The name 'Riddon' likely stems from the Old English 'ryden', referring to a clearing or 'ridding' of land, reflecting the area’s long history of pastoral farming within the moorland.
• •The ridge overlooks Babeny, one of the original 'Ancient Tenements'—medieval farmsteads that have been continuously cultivated within the Forest of Dartmoor for centuries.
• •From the summit, walkers are rewarded with a clear view of the iconic, forest-fringed Bellever Tor to the west and the jagged, multi-summited outline of Yar Tor to the southeast.
• •The hill is best accessed by following the bridleways that connect the village of Postbridge with the historic crossing and stepping stones at Sherwell.
• •As a Tump without a granite tor at the summit, it is one of the few places in the area where you can sit down without having to negotiate a jagged outcrop of 280-million-year-old rock.