John H Luxton Photography

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  1. Industrial Archaeology
  2. Quarries of Cornwall and Devon

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Swell Tor Quarry
FOGGINTOR AND SWELL TOR QUARRIES IN THE 1980s
THE PRINCETOWN BRANCH WHICH SERVED THE QUARRIES

Foggintor Quarry

Foggintor Quarry is located on a desolate part of Dartmoor in the heart of a landscape scattered with granite boulders and old industrial ruins. There was once a rocky outcrop, known locally as Foggin Tor, now there is just a vast and rugged pit filled with clear cold water. Foggintor Quarry opened around 1820 as “Royal Oak Quarry”.

Closure of Foggintor Quarry came in 1906, however, the community of houses which developed around the Foggintor Quarry continued to house quarrymen and their families employed at the nearby Swell Tor Quarry which continued in operation until 1938. The final members of the Foggintor Community vacated their homes in 1951.

During the early 1840s Foggintor Quarry supplied the granite that was used to build famous London landmarks such as Nelson’s Column and stone from nearby Swell Tor Quarry was used to construct the old London Bridge which was moved to the USA. A number of unused corbels from the London Bridge project remain at Swell Tor.

Locally the stone from the Quarries was used for a vast number of buildings including the famous Dartmoor Prison and nearby village of Princetown. The stone being taken away by rail the remains of the track bed is a popular walking route. There exist quite extensive remains of the quarry sidings which initially served the horse worked Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway and latterly the Great Western Railway Princetown Branch which in many places followed the route of the earlier Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway.

For a detailed online account of the history of Foggintor please visit the excellent Legendary Dartmoor web site at: https://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/foggintor.htm
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  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    The remains of Hill Cottages at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    The remains of Hill Cottages at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Remains of the Smithy at at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Quarrymens' Path. The remains of granite steps leading down into the cutting which contained Royal Oak Siding off the Princetown to Yelverton Railway. Swell Tor quarries continued in use after the closure of Foggintor with quarrymen and their families continuing to live in Hill Cottages at Foggintor until the closure of Swell Tor in 1938. This path which also crosses the track of the Princetown railway leads directly to the upper level of Swell Tor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    The remains of Hill Cottages at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    The remains of Hill Cottages at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    The remains of Hill Cottages at Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - April 25, 2022

    View across the fields of Yellowmead Farm to the ruins of Hill Cottages once the home to workers at Foggintor and nearby Swell Tor Quarries.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    What looks to be a Dartmoor breeed of sheep beside the track of the former branch of the former Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Walking back along the track of the branch of the former Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway towards Yellowmead Farm.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Walking back along the track of the branch of the former Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway towards Yellowmead Farm.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Hill Cottages - in many ways the remains are evocative of the quarry and are very reminiscent of Cwmorthin Terrace at Cwmorthin Quarry in Wales. It is unfortunate though that so little of the Hill Cottages remain given that they were only vacated after the Second World War but much demolition took place on the site in the early 1950s which is to be regretted.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Hill Cottages - in many ways the remains are evocative of the quarry and are very reminiscent of Cwmorthin Terrace at Cwmorthin Quarry in Wales. It is unfortunate though that so little of the Hill Cottages remain given that they were only vacated after the Second World War but much demolition took place on the site in the early 1950s which is to be regretted.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Hill Cottages with the northern entrance to Foggintor Quarry working faces beyond.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Royal Oak siding can be seen to the right. Viewed from Big Tip.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Site of Eva's / Hill Farm from Big Tip.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Royal Oak siding viewed from Big Tip. The waste stone along the siding from the stone breaking sheds can be see.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    View from the end of the Big Tip back towards Foggintor Quarry.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    View from the end of Big Tip towards Yellowmead Farm. The access track along which a branch of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway was laid can be seen seen running from right to left along the picture behind the field walls.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    View from the end of Big Tip towards Yellowmead Farm. The access track along which a branch of the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway was laid can be seen seen running from right to left along the picture behind the field walls.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    View from the end of Big Tip towards Merrivale Granite Quarry - closed in 2003.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    View from the end of Big Tip towards Merrivale Granite Quarry - closed in 2003.

  • Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Foggintor Quarry, Dartmoor, Devon - September 10, 2020

    Standing on the site of the Manager's House looking into the garden.

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