TORS OF DARTMOOR
a database of both lesser- & well-known rocks and outcrops
Holwell RocksBig Rock, Phoebe Tor
 Travelling along the minor road between the car park at Hound Tor (Swallerton Gate) and Hare(s)foot Cross, one cannot fail to notice a prominent tor of two main piles set on the hill, clearly visible to the left where the road drops down into a dip at Frenchangers Corner by a cattle grid. These twin outcrops are collectively called Holwell Rocks, a name first given by William Crossing (WC) in the early 20th Century where he writes about Hound Tor Combe: "...to the west is a tor above Holwell Farm, sometimes known as Holwell Rocks, from which a good view of the further side of the combe is gained, the beautiful Grea Tor, in whose clefts the mountain ash finds a home, and Hound Tor, the latter ranking among the finest on the Moor." He further described it in his Guide as: "On the L., or W., side of the Combe is Holwell, with Haresfoot Mires below it, and beyond it, on Holwell Down, the little pile sometimes known as Holwell Rocks." Holwell Down is a name that has appeared on Ordnance Survey (OS) maps since at least 1888.  In 1986 the well-known local South Devon writer Brian Carter (BC), himself an enthusiastic tor bagger, visited the Rocks and commented at that time on the lack of representation by the OS and depicted them on a hand-drawn map that appeared in the Herald Express. A mere 5 years later with the publication of Terry Bound's (TB) The A to Z of Dartmoor Tors, the Rocks whilst being described correctly were strangely accompanied by a rogue National Grid Reference (NGR) of SX 742 783 that placed the tor on Holwell Lawn, some 650m to the north-east. Thankfully in his Gazetteer of Dartmoor Names Mike Brown in 1995 supplied the accurate NGR of SX 739 776 that cemented the location.  Sadly, this erroneous 2013 location for the Rocks was repeated for 2021 in an issue of the Dartmoor Magazine which prompted a swift response by Max Piper (MP) to remedy the mistake. However, if matters couldn't get worse for the rockpile the name of 'Phoebe Tor' was then adopted by the new custodians of this land the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) in the very same year. Obviously done with good faith in light of there having been no apparent documented name for the Rocks on maps it was designed to honour Phoebe Wortley-Talbot (1926-2009), who left a legacy to DWT, at what is a stunning viewpoint. This name now appears on at least one information board at the entrances to the Reserve. So as not to lose the historic name forever, MP included the Rocks in East Dartmoor's Lesser-Known Tors and Rocks, together with a colour photograph and the NGR of SX 7391 7769. He also went a step further and contacted the OS in a plea for them to finally, after 120 years since being first mentioned, show Holwell Rocks by name on their maps. This endeavour was fulfilled in March 2024, and we hope that this put an end to any future misidentification.  Holwell Rocks itself is a pleasant tor of essentially two granite masses, the western of which is on the summit of the gentle hill reaching 399m and contains a distinctive stack. Views from here are tremendous - embracing countless rugged tors and eminences that fold into one another - and the glorious Hound Tor Combe. Big Rock, to the east mentioned by Hemery, is a large flat- and grass-topped outcrop that is bisected by an enclosure wall. A visit to the Rocks is thoroughly recommended and it is hoped that the complicated history has now been settled after a comprehensive article by Tim Jenkinson was published in Dartmoor Magazine for the end of 2023.
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