Hound Tor Deserted Medieval Village

Hound Tor is a good example of a heavily weathered granite outcrop. Thought to derive its name from the shape assumed by the blocks on the summit that have been weathered into forms resembling the heads of dogs peering over the natural battlements.

To the south-east of the tor, on a north-eastern-facing slope are the remains of Hundatora, a deserted medieval village, which was excavated between 1961 and 1975. It has four Dartmoor longhouses, many with a central drainage channel, and several smaller houses and barns. The three grain storage barns appear to have been adapted to include corn dryers, indicative of the deteriorating climate which led to the abandonment of the settlement by 1350.