Sharpitor

About Sharpitor

Rising sharply above the Walkham Valley, this prominent granite tor offers an iconic silhouette against the western Dartmoor skyline. Its jagged summit provides a rugged, windswept platform overlooking the expansive waters of Burrator Reservoir, making it a favorite for those seeking grand views without a long, boggy approach.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is a literal description of its profile, derived from the Old English 'scearp', meaning sharp, and the regional 'tor' for a rocky outcrop, referring to the precipitous granite stacks that crown the summit.
• •The summit offers an exceptional vantage point over the Burrator Reservoir to the south; on a clear day, the eye can follow the landscape down to Plymouth Sound and west toward the silhouettes of Brown Willy and Rough Tor on Bodmin Moor.
• •Below the summit lie the remains of the Plymouth Freehold Land Society’s ice works, a 19th-century attempt to harvest ice from specially constructed granite ponds for the fish markets of Plymouth.
• •Scattered across the lower slopes are significant Bronze Age relics, including hut circles and a stone row near Leather Tor, indicating that this prominent landmark has served as a navigational marker for millennia.
• •Given its proximity to the road, the hill is a popular spot for 'car-park peak bagging', though the final scramble through the granite clitter still requires a modicum of respect for one's ankles.