Dartmoor & Exmoor
Sheeps Tor
369M
1211FT
About Sheeps Tor
Rising abruptly above the waters of Burrator Reservoir, this granite giant is one of Dartmoor’s most recognisable landmarks. The ascent across its boulder-strewn slopes is short but steep, leading to a summit plateau that commands an exceptional view over the Meavy Valley towards the jagged profiles of Leather Tor and Sharpitor.
Key Statistics
Rank
66th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Dartmoor
Prominence
?
71
Nearest Town
Meavy
Geology
You are walking on solid granite from the Dartmoor Intrusion. This tough rock was created when molten liquid cooled and hardened deep beneath the earth’s surface.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX565682
Latitude
50.4960°N
Longitude
4.0246°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is thought to stem from the Old English 'scip', meaning ship, as the tor’s profile resembles an upturned hull when viewed from the south; it has appeared in records as 'Scyppertor' since the 1100s.
- •Hidden on the slopes is the Piskies’ Cave, a deep granite cleft that served as a hideout for the Royalist Elford family during the English Civil War, who reportedly lived there to escape the Roundheads.
- •The hill is encased in a massive 'clitter'—a local term for the apron of weathered granite blocks that have tumbled from the summit over millennia, creating a boulder field that is popular with local scramblers.
- •As a Tump (a hill with a drop of at least 30 metres on all sides), it stands in isolated prominence, offering an unobstructed 360-degree panorama that extends as far as the silver streak of Plymouth Sound on clear days.
- •Local legend suggests the cave is inhabited by the King of the Piskies, though you are far more likely to encounter a damp hiker attempting to dry their socks out of the wind.