TORS OF DARTMOOR
a database of both lesser- & well-known rocks and outcrops
Shaugh BeaconShaden Moor, Sha Down
 High up on Shaden Moor, north of Shaugh Prior, this granite outcrop is best accessed from the west where the visitor will be welcomed by a tremendous view from the summit.  Eric Hemery, in High Dartmoor, was clearly impressed on his visit; "...the west escarpment of Shaugh Moor bends to form a spur thrusting its foot into the Plym at Shaugh Bridge six hundred feet below; the plateau top of the spur is known as 'Shaden' (that is, Sha Down) and the remnant of a tor on its brow as 'Shaugh Beacon', its extensive clitter being cast upon the precipitous slope of West Down. This, the very brink of high Dartmoor, is a thrilling place to stand on, with glimpses north-eastward of greater heights and, at one's feet, of the rolling Plym in the gorge below and the dominating crag of Dewer Stone."  Despite his detailed account of the area, he fails to mention the marvellous rock basin atop the tor itself, shown above. Its impressive shallow oval appearance is unlike any other on Dartmoor. 
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
