inscribed as title and dated " 1874 "
It overlooks the wild landscape of the North Moor and the ancient settlements of Shoveldown. It stands castle like and is visible from many approaches around the eastern edges of Dartmoor.
Once marked on the first edition OS map as Castor, it is often pronounced locally as Kezter.
It is a distinctive tor, not only for its magnificent views but also for its huge summit rock basin, created by the weathering of weakened feldspar crystals. Before geological processes were fully understood, folklore described Rock basins as the work of Druids who required a repository as close to the heavens as possible for “holding sacred water and for catching the blood of human sacrifices”
In less distant times Kes Tor provided a grandstand view for local point-to-point races.
Today it’s a popular jaunt, often combined with Scorhill Stone Circle and the Teign-e-ver clapper bridge, along with the stone rows and standing stones. It is therefore a good afternoon’s exploration on a clear day, but in murky weather a map and compass should be carried as this is still open country.
Magnificent Kestor Rock (or Kes Tor) is one of the most prominent landmarks to stud the eastern edge of the North Moor. Its massive cake-like eminence from afar and projection above the surrounding commons make it unmistakable.
Kes Tor is famed for its rock basin, the largest recorded on Dartmoor, that was first discovered by George Wareing (G.W.) Ormerod during his explorations of the 19th Century. Worth (1953) writes: "It was discovered by Ormerod and at the time of the discovery was filled with peat and stone. Ormerod had it cleared of this deposit and was told that it had been filled about one hundred years before as presenting a small pool dangerous to sheep. Leaving it cleared he had a railing erected round it." The interesting thing about this is that if you study the basin you can still see the filled in holes where the rails were fixed into the granite. G.W. Ormerod (1810-1891) was a geologist born in Astley, Lancashire, October 1810. He is recorded in the Census of 1861 as 'Solicitor MA Oxon'. His address at that time is Mill Street, Chagford which fits perfectly with his 1858 assessment of the rock basin at Kes Tor. After all his exploits on Dartmoor in 1881 he is recorded at Woodway Road, Woodway, Teignmouth, aged 70 and still a 'Solicitor MA Oxon' with 2 servants. This is where he died in 1891 aged 80 years. Ormerod remains one of the earliest, if not the earliest, commentators on the rock basin phenomenon on Dartmoor.
The tor is widely referred to locally as 'Kes Tor', though sometimes as 'Kestor Rock' as per the OS map; but it was also once called 'Castor Rock'. Crossing (1912) suggests that "the tor may have derived its name from the Celtic kist, i.e, chest, which, indeed, is not improbable, as its square form certainly gives it a resemblance to such an object. Though not of great size Kes Tor is nevertheless striking in appearance, its situation contributing greatly to this." The west side of the outcrop reveals a huge breakaway of rock where blue granite (fine-grained) underlies the predominant tor granite (coarse-grained).
Views from the tor embrace the distant eastern highlands and valleys and ridges that make up the glorious landscape of East Dartmoor; comprised largely of woodlands and cultivated fields, the summits of Cranbrook Castle, Butterdon Hill and Mardon Down can also be seen gracing the hillsides above. Nearer is Meldon Hill, or Middleton as it was once called, with Chagford below to the left. Elsewhere the inner high moor dominates, with the remarkable dome of Cosdon seen to the north-west, with Wild and Watern Tors standing on the skyline like ruined castle-keeps.
Mary Keightley (1854-1946) was the youngest daughter of Archibald Keightley (1795-1877), executor of Sir Thomas Lawrence’s estate. She was a good amateur artist. Archibald Keightley (1795-1877), who was a solicitor who was the executor for Sir Thomas Lawrence, who had died earlier in 1830. Mr Keightley was responsible for the sale of Sir Thomas's collections, some of which were not paid for! There is a very interesting story about Sir Thomas's collection of old master drawings which were part of the assets Mr Keightley hadto dispose of. Following his work as a solicitor, Mr Keightley a few years later became the Registrar for the Charterhouse School, where he remained for 39 years.
Mary Keightley was born in 1854, in Charterhouse, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom, her father, Archibald Keightley, was 58 and her mother, Sarah Elizabeth Yates, was 41. She lived in London, England for about 20 years and Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, United Kingdom in 1891. She died on 20 April 1946, in Camberley, Surrey, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 93.