TORS OF DARTMOOR

a database of both lesser- & well-known rocks and outcrops

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Bennah Tor

Located just to the south of the village of Christow and to the west of the side hamlet called Bennah, there is, above the junction of two narrow lanes, a small, fenced-off copse in which are some dark metamorphic outcrops sheltered and protected from the elements, receiving little sunlight that makes them rather difficult to spot.

The rocks were noticed on old Ordnance Survey maps in 2019 by Max Piper and a couple of excursions in the area revealed that, although on private land, the northern outcrops of the tor can be espied from the lane to the north beside a new gate at SX 83096 84513. It is a rather strange place to find a rockpile, especially since it sits atop a little knoll that is situated on a much steeper hill, and although some of the outer rocks resemble a farmer's folly, there are what appear to be some substantial outcrops with likely more hidden behind forming a compact ridge of rock.

According to the Geology of Britain, this area sits right on the boundary of the Trusham Mudstone Formation and the Hyner Mudstone Formation, both formed c.350 million years ago. These intrusions have created a rather diverse range of tors on East Dartmoor with this being just one of them. Due to its position immediately above the hamlet of the same name, 'Bennah Tor' seems a most appropriate appellation.

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Bennah Tor
The map above is not a navigation tool and we recommend that the grid reference shown below is used in conjunction with an Ordnance Survey map and that training in its use with a compass is advised.
Grid Ref:
SX 8315 8444
Height:
170m
Parish:
Christow
Tor Classification:
Valley Side
Access:
Private (but visible from public land)
Rock Type:
Metamorphic
Credit:
Max Piper
Reference / Further Reading:
National Library of Scotland: Side by Side: OS 25 Inch, 1892 - 1914
British Geological Survey: Geology of Britain

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