Bellever

Also known as:
Lakehead Hill
Nearest town:
Ashburton (12km E)
OS reference:
SX645765
OS sheet:
191
Latitude:
50° 34' 18.8 N
Longitude:
3° 54' 49.44 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Rhiannon

From ‘A book of the West’ by Sabine Baring-Gould (v1. 1899). I wonder if that’s the great SB-G himself.

Image credit: .
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Dec 7, 2016
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Meic

Cist near Bellever Tor – 8th March 2004

Image credit: Michael Mitchell
Meic
Meic Oct 25, 2006
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The kist at SX640756 is to the east of the others.It is just to the south of the same leat where it turns east from north inside the adjacent newtake field.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The kist at SX635754 which is to the south west of the kist at SX638758 and is just to the north of a disused leat where it turns north from west.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The kist at SX638758.It is around 200 metres south of the kist at SX639760

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The kist at SX639760 which is to the south west of the tor.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The kist inside the cairn at SX641764.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by Lubin

The cairn and kist at SX641764 which is on the west side of the tor.

Image credit: Peter Castle ©
Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by doug

one of the various circle/ cist and stone row you will find on your meanderings as you climb/walk up Bellever Tor.

Image credit: Doug
doug
doug Jan 7, 2005
Image of Bellever (Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork) by doug

I hope these co-ordinates will help people on their quest.

Image credit: Doug
doug
doug Jan 1, 2005

Articles

Bellever

Lubin
Lubin Mar 6, 2005

There are ten cairns to the south and west of the tor, five of them having kists, although some of them being very small to non existant. Two can be found to the west of the tor and the others are inside Black Newtake to the south west. The ones in the newtake are difficult to find as they are amongst long grass, one of them is a ring cairn.

As others have said this is an excellent place to visit. It is best approached from the Postbridge end where you can park just inside the forest at SX646788 and walk south over Lakehead Hill taking a look at Krap’s Ring settlement, then on over the top to the Lakehead cairns/kists and stone row. From here you will walk up to Bellever Tor passing the very early settlement as the hill starts to rise. Once on the top of the tor the views are outstanding. I spent some time up here one afternoon when it was so windy you had to lean into the wind to stand up, but it was well worth it. From here you can go west to the first of the Bellever kists then south to the newtake to see the others. All in all an enjoyable day out whatever the weather.

Bellever

TreeHouse
TreeHouse Jan 15, 2005

Got very close to nature up at Bellever Tor in the summer of 2002... Was camping at the Dart Valley Country park and took a bus (once a day service) up to Dartmeet. Walked from Dartmeet to the tor in ever-increasing rain. Found some shelter under the granite, and proceeded to take everything off and wring it out. Managed to re-dress before a group of walkers emerged from the trees to the north. On reflection the site is a kind of omphalos (sacred navel) for Dartmoor: it is roughly in the middle of the National Park, and even appears on both sides of the OS Outdoor Leisure map due to its central position. Don’t visit this site in the rain unless you’re clothed in 100% waterproofs: the things that make it great also make it very exposed to the elements.

Bellever

S
soulsong Oct 31, 2002

I have to agree with xyz. I walked up Bellever Tor in April 2002 and I have never before or since felt such a strong spiritual impact. I never intended to walk all the way up, but he drew me endlessly onwards and upwards through the mud. This Tor has a majestic spirit and I found myself kneeling in respect once I reached the summit. No other Tor has had quite the same impact on me. Respect.

Bellever

X
xyz Oct 24, 2001

I’ve spent quite a bit of time exploring Dartmoor having previously lived in nearby Plymouth for a few years and it really is littered with ancient sites. For me though, this is the greatest spot on the moors. Bellever Tor itself is fantastic, commanding a superb view over the south of the moor. The area to the north of the tor is forested (now partially deforested in places) on either side with a central ‘avenue’ of open land leading up to the hill. This may be a later artificial man-made intervention, but it gives the tor a real sense of majesty, like its a ceremonial pathway or something. This ‘avenue’ is approximately 1.5 km in length, leading all the way up to the ancient Kraps Ring (I ain’t shitting you!, Doh!) settlement. Walking between the tor and the settlement, there are numerous hut circles, cairn circles , stone rows and cists. The whole area really has the air of a antiquated mecca and the most happening ‘vibes’ of practically any historical site I’ve visited (and I’ve been to quite a few...). In fact I spent an amazing summers evening up here recently exploring the area and climbing the tor to witness a spectacularly red sunset.

Last time I went I stayed at the Youth Hostel which is handily located a few minutes walk away in the hamlet of Bellever. I believe there is also a hotel in nearby Postbridge (plus numerous other places in the locality), so no excuses for not hanging around to check out the other sites in the area, like the Greywethers as well.

Folklore

Bellever
Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork
Rhiannon
Rhiannon Jul 7, 2024

There is one institution connected with Dartmoor that must not be passed over – Bellever Day. When hare-hunting is over in the low country, then, some week or two after Easter, the packs that surround Dartmoor assemble on it, and a week is given up to hare-hunting. On the last day, Friday, there is a grand gathering on Bellever Tor.

All the towns and villages neighbouring on Dartmoor send out carriages, traps, carts, riders; the roads are full of men and women, ay, and children hurrying to Bellever.

Little girls with their baskets stuffed with saffron cake for lunch desert school and trudge to the tor. Ladies go out with champagne luncheons ready. Whether a hare be found and coursed that day matters little. It is given up to merriment in the fresh air and sparkling sun.

And the roads that lead from Bellever in the afternon are careered over by riders, whose horses are so exhilerated that they race, and the riders have a difficulty in keeping their seats. Their faces are red, not those of the horses, but their riders – from the sun and air – and they are so averse to leave the moor, that they sometimes desert their saddles to roll on the soft and springy turf.

‘A Book of the West’ by Sabine Baring-Gould (1899).

Folklore

Bellever
Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork
Rhiannon
Rhiannon May 12, 2005

Tom White, of Post Bridge, was the favoured suitor of a girl from Huccaby, five miles away across the moor. After tea he’d walk over to see her, and late at night he’d walk back home. One summer night Tom had stayed considerably later than usual, and the stars were beginning to fade with that pre-dawn light. As he got nearer Bellever Tor he fancied he heard voices in the distance. He stopped to listen but came to the conclusion it was just the sighing of the wind. However as he got to the tor it was evident that a very merry party was somewhere close at hand. As he passed a huge granite block, he came upon a strange and bewildering sight.

On a small level piece of velvety turf, entirely surrounded by boulders, a throng of pixies were dancing in a ring, while others perched on rocks laughing and shouting. Before he could decide how to sneak off he was spotted, and the figures ran to form a ring around him, dancing and singing, spinning him round, round, round. He couldn’t help but be caught up with the pixies but he was terrified what would happen. Luckily for him the sun was at that moment about to peep over the ridge, and as its first rays hit the ground Tom found himself abandoned and exhausted.

It’s said that Tom couldn’t face going to see his girlfriend after that. I’ve heard some excuses... “Honestly, it’s not you, it’s me and it’s the pixies.”

An even more long-winded version of this is to be found in Tales of the Dartmoor Pixies, by William Crossing [1890] at
sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/tdp/tdp05.htm

Miscellaneous

Bellever
Ancient Village / Settlement / Misc. Earthwork
Billy Fear
Billy Fear May 8, 2009

Well, it’s a bit confusing which sites belong to Lakehead Hill and which to Bellever. I should really take most of my images down as they are similar images to the ones posted on Lakehead. I realised this too late. But as the wonderful list of sites is on the Bellever group I keep it for the time being.

Sites within 20km of Bellever

Like all websites everywhere, we use cookies.