Roborough Rock

Roborough Rock

Roborough Rock (also known as The Rock) is a tor-like igneous rock outcrop immediately south-west of Yelverton, Devon. It is located at the southern end of the former RAF Harrowbeer airfield on Roborough Down, next to the border with the A386.[1] This location created problems for the airfield during the Second World War, as two runways were positioned in front of the rock.[1]

Names

The Rock has been given many names, particularly due to the resemblance of a human face apparent when viewing the eastern mass from the north. This has variously been referred to as the "Duke of Wellington's Nose" and "George III's nose".[2][3] On Dunn's 18th-century map of Dartmoor, it is labelled as Ullestor Rock or Ulster Rock, but this label was rare by the mid-19th century.[2][4] Donne's map of 1765 labelled it "Hurstone Rock".[5] In the 16th century, it was known as Udell Torre[5] and it has also been referred to as Udal Tor.[6] Often it is locally referred to as just "The Rock".[1][7] It has also been called "Yelverton Rock".[5]

Geology

Roborough Rock has two high ends and a lower middle section. The height was historically more uniform, until the middle section was removed for road maintenance in 1830.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Rock, Yelverton". Educational Register of Geological Sites. Devon County Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2012.
  2. 1 2 Crossing, William (1965). Guide to Dartmoor. David & Charles. p. 444.
  3. ↑ The Western antiquary; or, Devon and Cornwall notebook. 1883. p. 72.
  4. ↑ Nicholas Toms Carrington (1826). Dartmoor, a descriptive poem, with notes by W. Burt. p. 142. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Gill, Crispin (1984). The brief history of Yelverton. Grey House Press.
  6. ↑ Worth, R. N. (1967). Spooner, G. M.; Russell, F. S., eds. Worth's Dartmoor. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN 0715351486.
  7. ↑ Harris, Helen (1992). The industrial archaeology of Dartmoor. Peninsula Press. ISBN 978-1-872640-21-1.

Coordinates: 50°29′07″N 4°05′38″W / 50.4854°N 4.0938°W / 50.4854; -4.0938

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