Dartmoor National Park Off The Beaten Path

Grimspound can be seen in its entirety from the adjacent Hookney Tor and a photograph taken from this location is shown in the photo above, a high resolution image being available by clicking on it. (You will have to disable Internet Explorer's annoying image resizing 'feature' to see it at full size, however.) It is advisable to choose a relatively clear day for this climb as moorland mist and fog frequently obliterates the view of the site from this altitude. The site itself consists essentially of a walled enclosure of a little over four acres in area containing the remains of many dwellings which take the form of circles of granite boulders known as hut circles or round houses. The entire site measures at the widest points 145 yards by 170 yards and nestles between the high points of Hookney Tor and Hameldown Tor at a height of about 1,500 feet above sea level. From the defensive point of view it is less than ideally placed as it is overlooked from both of the neighbouring hills and any invading force would have a significant advantage. It would therefore be reasonable to assume that it was not built as a fortification of any type but far more likely to have been the home of a farming community.

The name 'Grimspound' was first suggested for this location and published as such by the Reverend Richard Polwhele in 1797, this name having since been widely accepted. It is generally regarded as having been built in the middle bronze age, about 3,000 years ago and a few artifacts, notably pottery, have been recovered dating from this period which substantiate this. However, the site may well have been in use in much earlier times and the inhabitants normally credited with its construction may simply have moved in to an existing site.