There is some confusion about which rock is the actual Saddle, with two different outcrops being cited within close proximity of each other. The first location, at SX 5409 7441, is the lesser known, but actual rock; a large natural boulder with the inscription "SB" Sampford Bounds.
It is Dave Brewer who leads us to this location, with 'Saddle Rock' appearing on pages 172-73 of the 2002 book 'Dartmoor Boundary Markers'. The ensuing discussion on the whereabouts of the stone is very lengthy and is attributed to the Tithe Commissioners. The name of the Rock apparently dates to 1845.
The second location and, it has to be said, the one that Ken Ringwood's book wrongly identifies, is a part of the barbed enclosure walls of Vixen Tor at SX 5415 7436, and sits partly on Private Land. A reason for the mistake may lie with it having a Sampford boundstone beside the wall.
Saddle Rock
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 5409 7441
Height:
310m
Parish:
Sampford Spiney
Tor Classification:
Boulder
Access:
Public
Rock Type:
Granite
Credit:
Dave Brewer
Reference / Further Reading:
Dave Brewer: Dartmoor Boundary Markers Ken Ringwood: Dartmoor's Tors and Rocks
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