White Tor

About White Tor

Sitting on the western fringes of Dartmoor, this breezy summit is defined by its significant Neolithic enclosure. The terrain is typical upland moorland, offering a straightforward ascent from the Peter Tavy side. From the granite-scattered top, you gain clear views across to the sharp silhouette of Brent Tor's church.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is often recorded locally as 'Whittor'. It likely derives from the Old English 'hwit', referring to the pale, weathered appearance of the granite outcrops that pepper the summit compared to the darker surrounding peat.
• •The summit is home to a double-walled stone enclosure dating back to the Neolithic or Early Bronze Age. Unlike many Dartmoor tor-forts, this site is historically significant for its age, predating the more common Iron Age hillforts found elsewhere in the county.
• •Looking west from the summit, the moorland drops away to reveal the Tamar Valley and the Cornish border. On a clear day, the distinctive conical white 'sky tips' of the St Austell china clay industry are visible on the distant horizon beyond Bodmin Moor.
• •Walkers often combine a visit here with the nearby Roos Tor and Great Mis Tor. The route between these points crosses the 'Lichway', an ancient trans-moorland path once used by forest tenants to carry their dead to the church at Lydford for burial.
• •While the stone ramparts look impressively defensive, the lack of a reliable water source suggests the 'fort' was likely a ceremonial meeting place rather than a permanent residence—essentially a high-status Neolithic summer house.