Rails of stone

The Haytor Granite Tramway was opened in September 1820 by George Templer to carry stone from his quarries around Hay Tor down to the Stover Canal for onward shipping. It is remarkable for the rails being made of the same material as its intended traffic. It operated until the late 1850s when competition from rail served quarries caused a significant decline in demand.

The large L shaped pieces of granite used for rails remain in situ and on the upper section owned by the Dartmoor National Park the line is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Here, where the line curves downhill through Yarner Wood, some five miles from the canal basin terminus, it looks as if it remains ready for traffic and a load of granite slabs might be appearing at any moment!