Ugborough Moor

About Ugborough Moor

Sitting on the southern fringes of Dartmoor, this expansive moorland offers a classic landscape of granite outcrops and wide-open sky. Climbing toward the prominent Ugborough Beacon rewards walkers with sweeping views across the South Hams patchwork toward the glistening English Channel at Bigbury Bay and the distant Plymouth Sound.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Old English 'Ugga's beorg', signifying the hill or burial mound belonging to a Saxon settler named Ugga, likely referring to the prominent rocky height now known as the Beacon.
• •The moor is traversed by the Butterdon stone row; at over 2 kilometres long, it is one of the most significant Bronze Age megalithic alignments in the National Park, ending near the summit cairn of Butterdon Hill.
• •Looking south, the view captures the dramatic transition from high moorland to the sea, specifically picking out the lighthouse at Start Point and the sharp coastal cliffs of Bolt Head on a clear day.
• •Evidence of historical industry is scattered across the slopes, including the remains of various Victorian 'ice works' where peat was used to insulate frozen water harvested from the moor for transport to Plymouth.
• •Navigating the local terrain provides an excellent test of waterproof footwear, as the moor is famous for its 'featherbeds'—vivid green patches of moss that look like solid ground but behave like a deep, saturated sponge.