Parking
Use Brentor Church Car Park on the west side of the tor, reached from the signed Brentor Church turn. Cross the main road to the path; spaces are limited and public toilets are beside the car park.
Overview
About Brent Tor Walk
Why go
- A distinctive hilltop church and wide views for little distance.
Heads up
- Steep, rocky footing makes this tougher than the mileage suggests.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Dartmoor map
Full mapElevation278–308 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Dartmoor alerts
- CautionDartmoor military firing restricts accessDo not cross the Okehampton, Willsworthy or Merrivale training-range boundaries when warning signals are displayed.Official details
- CautionAccess restriction at Huccaby FarmAccess to CROW Access Land at Huccaby Farm in the West Dart River Valley is subject to a current restriction notice.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Dartmoor Tour Guide
Your drive to Brent Tor Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Dartmoor National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Brent Tor and St Michael de Rupe0:00 / 0:33
“Up ahead is the access for Brent Tor, where a small medieval church stands on a rocky hilltop inside an older Iron Age fort.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Dartmoor Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Bat That Waits Upside Down
- The Station Behind Station Road
- Lydford's Prison and Parliament
- Why Whitelady Falls
- 298 audio storiesacross Dartmoor’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Western Roe Deer, Red Fox, European Rabbit, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 54 trails, 59 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Brent Tor Walk
A short climb with a church at the topBrent Tor Walk is a half-mile out-and-back from Brentor Church Car Park to the church on the…
Brent Tor Walk is a half-mile out-and-back from Brentor Church Car Park to the church on the tor and back. It is a quick visit with a rough, steep climb to St Michael de Rupe, a small stone church set on a rocky hill, with wide views across Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to climb, look around, and return. This is the direct ascent, separate from the longer parish circuit that reaches North Brentor.
Up to St Michael de RupeCross the road from the car park and follow the dirt path as it bends around the north and east…
Cross the road from the car park and follow the dirt path as it bends around the north and east slopes before climbing toward the church from the south. It is short but not flat: rocks interrupt the grass, and granite steps lead through the churchyard gate. Return by the same path. The church is mostly 13th century, with a 15th-century tower, and sits within the earth ramparts of an Iron Age hillfort. The summit looks across Dartmoor and the Tamar Valley toward Plymouth Sound.
Access and footingBrentor Church Car Park sits just west of the tor; cross the main road to reach the path.
Brentor Church Car Park sits just west of the tor; cross the main road to reach the path. Spaces are limited, and public toilets are beside the lot. Dogs are allowed on a lead. The steep, uneven ascent and grass churchyard are awkward in wet weather; the steps and yard are not wheelchair accessible.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Dartmoor
32 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsRed FoxMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
37 sightingsEuropean RabbitMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
19 sightingsGrey HeronMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
34 sightingsGreat Spotted WoodpeckerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
20 sightingsCommon RavenMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Dartmoor. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
