TORS OF DARTMOOR
a database of both lesser & well-known rocks and outcrops
Little Staple TorLittle Steeple Tor, Staple Tors ![]() Little Staple Tor is a largely ruined granite tor above Merrivale on the valley side. Knocked out of prominence from its much more impressive neighbours there is still a good view from here out to Plymouth Sound, and you're likely to have it all to yourself. The tor is situated amid the old workings from quarrymen who cut stone in the area; Merrivale Quarry is to the east. ![]() The tor boasts a fantastic rock basin, with a small drainage slot meaning that however much water it collects, it will never fill up completely. First mentioned by Lloyd Warden Page in the late 19th century, the basin measures 77cm X 64cm and some 10cm deep. It is embellished with stonecrop and is a remarkable feature. ![]() Hemery says of the tors lining the Walkham Valley; "The ridge of great tors along the west side of the river's middle reach begins just north of the B3357 with Little Staple Tor (1,256 feet), the ruin of its weathered cone resembling a broken causeway..." ![]()
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