Dartmoor & Exmoor
Sittaford Tor
538M
1764FT
About Sittaford Tor
Sitting deep within Dartmoor’s high north moor, this broad granite summit offers a rugged, wind-scoured character. It is defined by its proximity to the Grey Wethers stone circles and its ruined shepherd’s chimney. From the top, the vast, empty plateau stretches toward the distant, jagged profile of Fur Tor.
Key Statistics
Rank
13th Highest in Region
Parent Range
Dartmoor
Prominence
?
20m
Nearest Town
West Devon
Geology
You are walking on solid granite. This rock formed from a massive pool of molten liquid that cooled and hardened deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
Classifications
Find It
OS Grid Reference
SX633830
Latitude
50.6306°N
Longitude
3.9342°W
Did You Know?
- •The name is believed to originate from the Old English 'sid', meaning wide, combined with 'ford', likely referring to a historic crossing point over the nearby North Teign River.
- •A distinctive feature on the summit is the ruins of a 19th-century chimney, all that remains of a 'dry' or shepherd’s hut used by those watching over sheep on the high moor.
- •To the southeast of the tor sit the Grey Wethers, two nearly identical Bronze Age stone circles that serve as a striking landmark against the peat and heather of the plateau.
- •The tor lies near the path of the Lych Way, an ancient and arduous route once used by remote moorland communities to transport their dead to the church at Lydford for burial.
- •The summit chimney is frequently mistaken for a lone hiker by those approaching from Fernworthy, providing a reliable source of disappointment for walkers hoping for a chat.