A 3,300-Year-Old Village
Grimspound is a late Bronze Age enclosed settlement on the eastern shoulder of Dartmoor — a roughly circular compound about 150 metres across, bounded by a massive granite wall (still standing in places to 1.5 metres) and containing the remains of 24 circular hut circles. It was occupied around 1300–1000 BC, when the Dartmoor climate was warmer and the upland was actively farmed and grazed. The compound was home to a community of perhaps 50–100 people.
The preservation is extraordinary for a 3,000-year-old site — the granite walls have resisted the millennia better than any timber structure, and the hut circles are clearly legible. You can walk through the entrance, stand inside the hut circles, and trace the outline of prehistoric Dartmoor life with remarkable immediacy. There are no fences, no entry fee, and no interpretation boards — just open moorland and 3,300 years of atmosphere.
🏛️ Reading the Settlement
The outer wall originally had a cobbled entrance passage — you can still trace where it was on the southeast face. Inside, the hut circles vary in size: the larger ones (up to 5 metres diameter) were probably dwellings; smaller ones may have been animal byres or storage. Look for the low stone dividing walls within some huts. The site faces southeast — sheltered from the prevailing westerlies, with the stream running through the compound providing fresh water.
The Route
🗺️ Grimspound and Hameldown Ridge Circular (4.5 miles)
The most direct approach is from the moorland lay-by on the B3212 between Moretonhampstead and Two Bridges (OS grid ref SX700809). A short track leads south across open moorland to Grimspound — the encircling wall is visible from the road. Allow 10 minutes from car to site.
Enter through the reconstructed entrance on the southeast face, walk the perimeter wall, and look into each of the 24 hut circles. The views from the outer wall are excellent — south toward Widecombe, west to the high moor. Take time to understand the layout: this was a real community, organized for practical Bronze Age life.
From Grimspound, climb northwest to Hookney Tor — a modest but well-positioned granite outcrop with excellent views over the settlement. Continue south along the Hameldown Ridge to Hameldown Tor (529m), one of eastern Dartmoor's highest points, with a Bronze Age barrow at the summit and panoramic views across the moor in every direction.
Descend northwest from Hameldown Tor back toward the B3212, following moorland paths across the open ground. The descent gives excellent views west toward the high moor and north toward the Teign Valley.
Nearby: Hound Tor
Hound Tor — the inspiration for Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles — is 2 miles east of Grimspound and combines naturally into a longer day. Below the tor, a deserted medieval village provides another layer of abandoned habitation. Between Grimspound and Hound Tor, you can visit 3,500 years of Dartmoor settlement history in a single walk.
Getting There
The most convenient parking is the moorland lay-by on the B3212 approximately 1.5 miles east of Postbridge (OS grid ref approx SX700809). Alternatively, start from Widecombe-in-the-Moor (TQ13 7TA) for a longer approach from the south via Natsworthy. No public transport serves the area.