Foggintor Quarry

Foggintor is a disused granite quarry on Dartmoor’s western moor, now a broad, water-filled basin enclosed by steep, stepped rock faces. Broken blocks line the shore, with abandoned industrial buildings scattered along the approach. The quarry landscape, rather than exhibits or visitor facilities, is the reason to come.

Granite from here helped build Nelson’s Column, and quarrying ended in 1906. Nearby offices, workers’ cottages, a school and chapel belonged to the quarry community. Accounts disagree on when work began, so the clearer story is the scale of the industry and how much of its worksite remains on the moor.

One short route begins at a small gravel parking area on the B3357 beyond Merrivale. Go through the gate and follow a mostly level gravel track over open moor; after a second gate, you reach the first industrial remains. A rough spur turns toward the water. This out-and-back is described as about 1.7 miles (2.8 km) with roughly 30 metres of ascent; the private road beyond the gate is for walkers, not cars.

Other visitors start from Princetown for a longer walk. The quarry pin marks the basin, not a confirmed parking entrance, so check your starting point before setting off. The B3357 parking area is small, and current capacity and access conditions can’t be confirmed here.

The pool sits below raw granite faces, with broken stone along the edge. On a calm day, the walls can reflect in the water; frame the pool with a tall section of rock to show the basin’s scale. A narrow, unmaintained path around the rim is uneven and close to steep drops, making it rougher than the gentle approach.

This is a quarry walk, not a managed bathing place. Accounts mention swimming, but water safety is unverified and the reported entry is slippery. Plan to see the ruins and the flooded workings, not to swim.