This post shows some of the more well known examples of tethering rings that can be found on Northern Dartmoor. The author couldn’t find from his library of pictures further rings, known to be at Yes Tor, Hare Tor (possibly a flagpole tether) and Beardown Bridge. Once new photographs have been obtained for these, this post will be updated. The author has assumed for this post that “North Dartmoor” is anything north of the Moretonhampstead to Tavistock road
“In a green gully above the headmire, backed by a large black peat bank, tinners have worked, and a latter-day moorman¹ has driven a stake with tethering ring into the bank against a granite slab. – 1. Mr Reg Fuge of Brousentor Farm.”
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Huw Jones July 27, 2026
“Fuges Post” looks more like a fence anchor post, than something specifically to be used as a tether, although that may have been a later use. It would have to be at least 3ft into dry ground if an iron post was to hold a horse securely. from what I remember a lot of Dartmoor is very wet, so the post would have to go much deeper. and the soil is acid, iron losts have a short life in those conditions.
iron fittings in surface rocks would last a lot longer.
SteveGriggDartmoor July 28, 2026 — Post author
Hi Huw,
Thank you for your comments.
Fuge’s Post is sited near an old track used by former peat cutters. The site of the post is where the local farmers could ride a horse using this track before tethering them and continuing on foot. Fuge’s post is referenced in Eric Hemery’s ‘High Dartmoor’ (page 940) which reads:
“In a green gully above the headmire, backed by a large black peat bank, tinners have worked, and a latter-day moorman¹ has driven a stake with tethering ring into the bank against a granite slab. – 1. Mr Reg Fuge of Brousentor Farm.”
Why an anchor post as opposed to a ring rock was used by Reg Fuge is not recorded. Brousentor Farm is located near Baggator Brook, a tributary of the Tavy
I have known the post for nearly 40 years and it doesn’t appear to have deteriorated in that time in my opinion.
Hope this helps
Kind Regards,
Steve (Dartmoor Explorations)