| Nearest town: Moretonhampstead OS grid reference: SX 786 856 Status: National Park Management: Dartmoor National Park Authority |  |
Blackingstone Rock is a large tor situated in the eastern part of Dartmoor National Park. It exhibits many of the typical features of the Dartmoor Granite. Of particular note is that the coarse grained granite contains very large crystals of feldspar.The term ‘feldspar’ encompasses a group of pale coloured rock-forming minerals; Blackingstone Rock has examples up to several centimetres long. The tor also displays characteristic jointing.
Facilities:
There is a display board describing the tor, including an outline of the geology, in the car park.
Access:
Foot: There is access on foot to the open area around the rock, this is best accessed using the path which runs northwest around the tor and ascends gently. Please do not climb straight up to the top of the rock from the car park as this causes erosion and may damage rare lichens.There is a flat route to the base of the rock using a footpath from the layby at SX 785 856.
Bus: There are regular bus services to nearby Moretonhampstead from Exeter and Newton Abbot.
Road: From Exeter take the B3212 towards Moretonhampstead, after passing through Doccombe turn left towards Blackingstone and Blackingstone Rock at Cossick Cross junction.
For further information on the geology of this site please view www.devon.gov.uk/geo-BKR.pdf. 
(344KB - pdf help)
2. The Granite Way | |
| Nearest towns: Okehampton & Lydford OS grid reference: SX 517 852 - SX 589 944 Management: Devon County Council |
The Granite Way is an 11 mile cycle and walkway running between Okehampton and Lydford along the north western edge of Dartmoor. It is mostly traffic free, largely following the course of the former Southern Region railway line.A journey along the Granite Way offers good views of the granite landscape of Dartmoor, as well as a number of specific sites of geological interest.
For example, close to the Okehampton end of the route is Meldon Quarry.This large working site, largely hidden in the landscape, produces hard rock such as hornfels.This is used in a variety of ways but in particular it has provided the aggregates for road building and rail ballast since 1895.
Further south can be seen the impressive silhouette of Sourton Tors (they can be reached by a footpath north of Sourton). Unlike most of Dartmoor’s tors they are not made of granite. Instead they also consist of hornfels that, as at Meldon, were createdby heating when hot granite intruded into the original rocks of this area.The actual point of contact between these rocks with the granite is a kilometre or so farther south-east. As you look out onto Dartmoor you see an area which was once a plateau and can observe how over millions of years rivers have cut through the rock creating distinctive valleys.
At the southern end of the trail is the famous Lydford Gorge, which is covered by a separate entry in this booklet.
Facilities:
Okehampton and Lydford contain a good range of facilities, and there is a visitor centre and caf? at Meldon Viaduct, near the Quarry.
Access:
Okehampton: Bus: There are regular services from Exeter, Bude, Plymouth and Barnstaple.
Train: Limited service from Exeter on summer Sundays.
Road: From the A30 follow signs to Okehampton station along the B3260.
Bicycle:The site is part of the National Cycle Route 27 “Devon Coast to Coast”.
For more information, view www.sustrans.co.uk for other routes that connect to Route 27.
3. Lydford Gorge |   |
| Nearest Town: Tavistock OS grid reference: SX 503839 Status: SSSI, National Park Management: National Trust |  |
The impressive Lydford Gorge has a depth of 35metres, is almost 2 km long and is of considerable importance for interpreting the geology of thelocal area.Within the gorge it is possible to see extensive exposures of mudstones, sandstones, limestones and cherts ranging in age from Upper.Devonian (c370 million years) to Lower.Carboniferous age (350 million years). Some of.these rocks contain important fossil remains that have proved crucial in dating the geology. However, perhaps the most impressive aspect of the site is the structure of the gorge itself.This provides a classic example of river gorge formation followed by ‘river capture’ and has many features associated with this process.These include the spectacular 27 metre high Whitelady waterfall and the exciting Devil’s Cauldron whirlpool, along with the imprints of potholes now many metres above the present river level.
Facilities:
Admission charges apply.There is a tea-room, shop and during the winter access is to the waterfal lonly.Walking in the gorge is strenuous. It is extremely rugged, with uneven surfaces, slippery paths and vertical drops.Walking boots are essential. Please also refer to the safety guidance at the start of this booklet.
Access:
Foot: Circular walk of 3 miles or short walks to Devil’s Cauldron and Whitelady Waterfall. Bicycle: Lydford Gorge is close to two cycle routes: Devon Coast to Coast and the Plym Valley. Bus: A number of buses stop at Lydford Gorge, including ones from Plymouth. Road: Lydford Gorge is halfway between Okehampton and Tavistock, 1 mile west of the A386 opposite the Dartmoor Inn. The main entrance is at the west end of Lydford village and the waterfall entrance is 1 mile along the road from the main entrance. For details on opening dates and times and admission charges visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk or email lydfordgorge@nationaltrust.org.uk or call the National Trust on 01822 820320 or 820441. Further geological details are available at www.devon.gov.uk/geo-LYG.pdf
4. Brent Tor |
| Nearest Town: Tavistock OS grid reference: SX 471804 Status: SSSI, National Park Management: Private landowner. |
Brent Tor is one of the most impressive rock outcrops in Dartmoor.With St Michael’s Church at its top, it makes a distinctive and famous silhouette on the Dartmoor skyline.
The Tor is unusual as it is one of the few on Dartmoor not to be made of granite. In fact, it is formed from basaltic lava which flowed some 350 million years ago into a shallow sea that covered the area during the Lower Carboniferous and Devonian periods. As the lavas flowed out into the sea some solidified into globular masses known as pillow lavas. Others were broken up by explosive contact with the sea water.
This lava formed a mound on the sea floor which was then eroded by sea currents with the resulting debris being washed down the slopes of the mound. Debris of this nature can still be seen loose on the southern slopes of the Tor.
Facilities:
Car parking and toilets are available directly west of the site, north west of Heathfield Plantation. Access to the site entrance is at the northern end near the Stag’s Head House, gained via roadside pavement.
Access:
Road: If accessed from Exeter the route is round the north side of Dartmoor on the A30 leaving it at Sourton and proceeding towards Tavistock. A local road south-west from Lydford reaches North Brentor village.The car park is just below Brent Tor itself. Bus: Services run between Okehampton and Tavistock, stopping at nearby North Brentor. Bicycle: The National Cycle Network Route 27 (Plymouth to Ilfracombe) is near to the site (see www.sustrans.co.uk).
For further information on this site please view www.devon.gov.uk/geo-BRT.pdf
5. Merrivale |
| Nearest Town: Tavistock OS grid reference: SX 540760 Status: SSSI, National Park Management: Various (owned by Duchy of Cornwall) |
Located on the west side of Dartmoor, this site is home to a number of impressive landforms that are defined by the underlying geology and demonstrate the effects of weathering during the Ice Age. Dartmoor was never glaciated but still suffered the effects of the cold conditions, known as periglacial activity. Solid ice sheets came as far south as the coast of North Devon. The area has a number of tors, including Roos Tor, Cox Tor and the Staple Tors.These Tors were exposed when the overlying material was eroded by periglacial activity.They are surrounded by areas of clitter (rock debris) and blockfields (flat or only gently sloping areas of frost-shattered rock), and boulder runs are also present.
The slopes around Cox Tor display a number of unusual earth hummocks.These vary considerably in size and shape but can be up to two metres in diameter and about 0.5 metres high.They are generally composed of a fine silty loam that again resulted from weathering during the Ice Age.
Facilities:
There is car parking on the B3357 Tavistock to Princetown road.
Access:
This area of Dartmoor is common land to which there is free access on foot. Merrivale Granite quarry is private.
Foot: One public footpath runs through the site. (N.B Visitors should avoid walking on the delicate earth hummock features and use existing paths wherever possible).
Road: The site can be approached from car parks on the B3357 Tavistock to Princetown road.The land immediately to the north of the site is used by the Ministry of Defence as a firing range and is therefore classed as a ’Danger Area’; access is subject to a range of restrictions (see www.dartmoor-ranges.co.uk). Bus: There is a regular service between Tavistock and Merrivale and Princetown.
For more information on the geology of Dartmoor and this site please view www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk or www.devon.gov.uk/geo-MVL.pdf
| Nearest Town: Princetown OS grid reference: SX 645764& SX 635771 Status: National Park Management: Forestry Commission |
Situated in the centre of Dartmoor National Park, the area around Bellever Tor is easily accessible and is a popular site for walkers. It provides a good example of a hill-crest granite tor. Features seen here and at the nearby Cherrybrook Bridge Quarry illustrate the effects of weathering on granite and give a good indication of how the Dartmoor tors were formed.
From the adjoining Forestry Commission plantation, there is a pleasant and relatively gentle walk up the moorland slopes towards the summit of Bellever Tor.The tor shows well developed and flat-lying tabular jointing.Weathering has penetrated these joints causing the disintegration of the granite into large slabs which now form the debris, known as clitter that surrounds the tor.The tor is also cut by widely-spaced vertical joints which have weathered into broad gullies.
The effects of weathering on granite are also well demonstrated at the nearby Higher Cherrybrook Quarry, located by the roadside some 2km to the northwest of Bellever Tor. Here, the degree of loosening and weakening of the granite can be related to the proximity to the joints which, over millions of years, have allowed the rock to be attacked through the chemical and physical forces of water. In addition to its geological significance, the site offers excellent views over South Dartmoor.The area also exhibits many remains of prehistoric settlement, including tombs and stone rows and circles.
Facilities:
There are a number of car parks near the site.
Access:
Foot: The site is best accessed on foot via the forestry tracks leading from the Forestry Commission car parks at Bellever Forest. Road: From the B3212 between Postbridge and Two Bridges there is direct access to the quarry / car park site at Higher Cherrybrook Quarry. Bus: There are a few daily services from Princetown to Bellever.
See the factsheet on tor formation (including a case study at Higher Cherrybrook Quarry) at www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/lab-tors.pdf.
Additional information is available at www.devon.gov.uk/geo-BET.pdf (& geo-HCB.pdf).
| Nearest Town:Yelverton OS grid reference: SX 549 677 Status: SSSI, National Park Management: South West Lakes Trust | |
Located on the south-western edge of Dartmoor close to the impressive Burrator Reservoir are the disused Upper and Lower Burrator Quarries.
The Upper Burrator Quarry offers an opportunity to view a rare exposure of the contact between the Dartmoor granite and Devonian rocks. Indeed, veins of pink granite can be seen penetrating these rocks which were once slates resulting from the deep burial and intense deformation of mudstone originally laid down in marine conditions.
However, the high temperatures that resulted from the intrusion of the hot granite transformed them into re-crystallised rocks known as hornfels. Minerals such as black tourmaline have been formed in the original slate.
The Lower Burrator Quarry exposes granite intersected by a series of joints. Joints are fractures in the granite resulting from stresses caused by cooling, by pressures from earth movements or by the removal of a load when the rocks once above the granite are eroded away.
A booklet entitled ‘The evolution of a Dartmoor Landscape - exploring Burrator’ by Peter Keene gives more detail on the geology of the quarries and the Burrator area in general. It is available to download or purchase at the Dartmoor National Park Authority web site.
Access:
Foot: Both of the quarries are situated on Yennadon Down which is common land.You can roam freely on foot and on horseback.
Bus: There is a regular bus service fromYelverton to the nearby village of Dousland.There is also a regular service to Yelverton from Tavistock and Plymouth.
Road: The site is accessed from the minor road heading east fromYelverton towards Burrator Reservoir.The site lies west of the road approximately 300 metres south of the reservoir’s dam. Car parking is available in the southern quarry.
Bicycle: National Cycle Network Route 27 ‘Devon Coast to Coast’ from Plymouth to Ilfracombe runs near to Yelverton and the site.
For further information on this site, please view www. devon.gov.uk/geo-BUQ.pdf, or www.swlakestrust.org.uk.
| Nearest City: Plymouth OS grid reference: SX 484 740 Status: LNR,WHS Management: Tavistock Town Council,West Devon Borough Council & private landowners Tavistock, originally founded in 974 AD with the building of the Benedictine Abbey, has been greatly influenced by the local geology.The surrounding area once supported a thriving mining industry. Indeed, the extraction of minerals such as tin, copper and arsenic is documented as early as 1305. |   |
Tavistock is now a part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site in recognition of the considerable legacy of this mining activity. During the nineteenth century the town was completely remodelled by the 7th Duke of Bedford, Francis Russell, and his steward John Benson using the profits gained from mining. In the process a number of impressive public buildings were built, as was model housing for workers - virtually unheard of at the time.
The buildings include the Cornmarket (1835) and the Guildhall (1863). Many were created using a variety of local materials including the green volcanic Hurdwick Stone, quarried just a few miles away, and granite from PewTor on Dartmoor. The workers cottages were made from brick and local rubble stone.
The rocks underlying Tavistock can be seen in several places in the town, such as Tavistock Railway Cutting (SX 4722 7413 – SX 4788 7448). Greenish grey Devonian slates occur in the southwestern part of the cutting (SX 4722 7413) and towards the road bridge. Beyond this bridge black slates, also Devonian, can be observed. At the north eastern end of the section is evidence of volcanic activity with lavas containing cavities caused by the expansion of trapped gasses and finely grained deposits of volcanic ash.
Facilities:
There are shops, cafes and restaurants in Tavistock.
Cycle hire is also available.
Access:
Road: The A386 connects Tavistock to Plymouth and Okehampton. Bicycle: The National Cycle
Network Route 27 “Coast to Coast” from Ilfracombe to Plymouth goes through Tavistock.
Bus: There are regular services from Plymouth and Okehampton.
For further information on this site, please view www.cornishmining.org.uk or www.tavistock.gov.uk
9. Morwellham Quay | |
| Nearest town: Tavistock OS grid reference: SX 445697 Status: AONB,WHS Management: Morwellham and TamarValley Trust |  |
Much of the Tamar Valley in west Devon was once home to a thriving mining industry.This industry needed a transport system and a number of small quays were built along the River Tamar to ship out the mined material. One such example is the restored Morwellham Quay, now an open-air museum and visitor centre.
Copper ore taken from the nearby George and Charlotte mine, first worked in the early 1700s, was shipped from here.This small mine has many features characteristic of the other mines found throughout the Tamar Valley but here you can actually journey underground and experience something of the working conditions of the miners during the 19th century.
Morwellham Quay is part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site.
Facilities:
There is a wildlife reserve, woodland trail, shop, playground, museum, refreshments, toilets, car park and restaurant on site.
Access:
Bus: There is a regular service between Tavistock bus station and Lumburn with a half an hour walk to the quay.There is a summer Sunday bus service.
Road: From Tavistock, take the Plymouth road (A386) before joining the A390. From here join the B3257 before turning right to Morwellham Quay.
Boat: River trips may be available - see www.calstockferry.co.uk.
For more information please visit www.morwellham-quay.co.uk or telephone 01822 832766
Back to top