About King’s Tor Halt
King’s Tor Halt was constructed as a modest stop along the Princetown Railway, primarily to serve hikers and those visiting the nearby quarries. Positioned amidst the rugged beauty of Dartmoor, it stood on a stretch of moorland dominated by expansive views of granite tors and desolate landscapes.
The platform at King’s Tor Halt was simple, built from gravel-topped earthworks and edged with timber. The back of the platform was lined with a wooden fence, and the standard two lamp posts—one at either end—provided lighting after dark. The halt also featured a large wooden nameboard and a weather-worn bench, adding to its basic yet functional design. A small wooden shelter stood at the southeastern end of the platform, providing limited protection from the often harsh weather conditions of Dartmoor. At the opposite end, a platelayers’ hut completed the setup.
From King’s Tor Halt, passengers were treated to spectacular views. To the west, the railway line snaked below the imposing mass of Ingra Tor, while further afield, landmarks like Leeden Tor, Sheepstor, and the distant peaks of Plymouth Sound were visible on clear days. Looking eastward, one could see the southern slopes of Hessary Tor and Princetown itself, nestled against the vast expanse of the moor.
The surrounding quarries, including Swelltor and Foggintor, were a key feature of the landscape. These quarries once produced granite for major construction projects, including the famous London bridges. The sidings leading into these quarries crossed the railway line near King’s Tor Halt, and their abandoned trackbeds were later repurposed as cart tracks or footpaths, winding their way through the rugged terrain.
Despite its remote location and minimal facilities, King’s Tor Halt remained an iconic stop along the Princetown Railway. Its isolated position and striking views of the moor left a lasting impression on those who passed through or chose to alight there, making it a memorable part of the journey to Princetown.
In Brief
“King Tor Halt, at 8 miles 74 chains mile post mileage from Yelverton Station, was opened to passengers by the Great Western Railway Company on April 2nd 1928 (source: here).
King Tor Halt railway halt, was a part of the 10.5-mile long single-track Princetown branch railway line. This line, running from Yelverton to Princetown, featured four intermediate stations. When it first opened, King Tor Halt consisted of a simple wooden platform and shelter, serving the adjacent granite quarry and the nearby worker’s houses. As time went on, the station mainly catered to walkers. Similar to Ingra Tor Halt, King Tor Halt was retained in an effort to compete with local bus services and attract tourist traffic.
The authorisation for the branch line was granted in 1878, and it officially commenced operations on 11th August 1883. Yelverton served as the junction for the line at the time of the halt’s opening. Three additional stations were subsequently added to the line in the 1920s: Burrator and Sheepstor Halt in 1924, and Ingra Tor Halt in 1936. The route of the branch line largely followed the path of the old Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway. King Tor Halt was established near the original location of the Royal Oak Sidings.
Freight traffic on the branch line included the transportation of granite from the rail-served quarries at Swelltor and Foggintor, both of which ceased operations in 1906. Initially owned by the Princetown Railway, the line was merged with the Great Western Railway (GWR) on 1st January 1922. Subsequently, the line came under the control of British Railways (Western Region) in 1948, before ultimately closing on 3rd March 1956. The tracks were dismantled on 6th December 1956.
Today, a significant portion of the old track formation has been repurposed as the Dousland to Princetown Railway Track. Only the concrete base of the shelter at King Tor Halt remains as a testament to its existence.
KING TOR [GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY] opened 2 April 1928* (wtimetable supp); HALT; closed 5 March 1956 (T 5th); {Princetown branch}.* = Western Morning News, Thursday 5th, said opened on Tuesday, but Monday seems more likely (source: here).
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