Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Login or Signup

Get the App

Login or Signup

Discover
Places to see

Natural Monuments

United Kingdom
England
South West England
Devon
West Devon
Chagford

Kes Tor and Rock Basin

Highlight • Viewpoint

Kes Tor and Rock Basin

Recommended by 55 hikers

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: {{link, react}}

Dartmoor National Park

Save

Share

  • More

  • Save

    Share

  • More

  • Take Me There

    Routes here

    Best Hikes to Kes Tor and Rock Basin

    4.9

    (47)

    168

    hikers

    1. Scorhill & Kestor Rocks loop from Gidleigh — Dartmoor National Park

    7.32km

    02:10

    220m

    220m

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Navigate

    Send to Phone

    Moderate

    Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Moderate

    Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Hard

    Tips

    August 15, 2024

    It is a distinctive rock, not only for its magnificent views, but also for its huge rock pool at the summit, formed by the weathering of weakened feldspar crystals. Before geological processes were fully understood, rock pools were described in folklore as the work of the Druids, who needed a camp as close to the sky as possible to "store sacred water and collect the blood of human sacrifices".

    More info here:

    visitdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/moors-tors/kes-tor

    Translated by Google •

      February 2, 2020

      If a Dartmoor tor could reveal what it has seen down through the millennia then Kestor surely would have some stories to tell. Its rocky outcrops survey directly over a ancient landscape of ritual monuments and old stone huts. In previous centuries some early antiquarians believed that the tor was the central focus for druidical ceremonies. The rock or tor is located on Chagford Common and sits at an altitude of 1,382ft (421m). Many wonder as to the origins of the name and why sometimes it’s called a rock and others a tor.
      in 1856 a local antiquarian called G. W. Omerod was doing some ‘antiquarianing’ on the tor/rock when he discovered a large rock basin on the summit. A hole had been filled in with peat and stones in a presumable effort to stop sheep from falling into it. When he cleared the hole out it was found to be the largest rock basin and Dartmoor and according to Worth, when empty it measured 6ft 8in wide, 8ft wide and 30in deep. The largest rock basin on Dartmoor.

        In the know? Log-in to add a tip for other adventurers!

        Sign up for free

        Details

        Informations

        Elevation 420 m

        Weather

        Powered by AerisWeather

        Today

        Monday 1 December

        11°C

        5°C

        100 %

        If you start your activity now...

        Max wind speed: 37.0 km/h

        Most visited during

        January

        February

        March

        April

        May

        June

        July

        August

        September

        October

        November

        December

        Loading

        Location: Chagford, West Devon, Devon, South West England, England, United Kingdom

        Other Popular Places to Check Out

        Teign-e-ver Clapper Bridge

        Explore
        RoutesRoute plannerFeaturesHikesMTB TrailsRoad cycling routesBikepacking
        Download the app
        Follow Us on Socials

        © komoot GmbH

        Privacy Policy