Great Staple Tor

Great Steeple Tor, Staple Tors, Great Roose Tor

Several great outcrops, an avenue, and rock basins are just some of Great Staple Tor's amazing features. Close to Merrivale and the B3357, this is a popular part of the moor for sightseers and photographers. It is a great example of a Summit Avenue Tor with prominent steeples, or towers, which have an excellent vista.

Crossing writes; "The rocks of Great Staple Tor assume very fantastic shapes, and in some instances are poised in such a manner as to induce the beholder to believe that a very slight effort would suffice to overthrow them. It is a striking tor from whichever side it is beheld, but becomes really impressive when closely approached."

In addition, Hemery; "The clitters on the north-east slope of the tor above Shilla Park and south-west slope above Beckamoor Combe include gigantic slabs that indicate the tor's former magnitude as something almost beyond speculation, certainly exceeding that of Hey Tor (Bovey) as we know it." Interestingly, Donn's Map of Dartmoor (1765) marks this tor as "Great Roose Tor" clearly marking Roose Tor further north of here.

Great Staple 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 5420 7603
Height:	455m
Parish:	Whitchurch
Tor Classification:	Summit Avenue
Access:	Public
Rock Type:	Granite
Credit:	Ordnance Survey William Crossing Eric Hemery Benjamin Donn
Reference:	Ordnance Survey Maps William Crossing: Guide to Dartmoor Eric Hemery: High Dartmoor Benjamin Donn: Map of Devon 1765

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