| Dartmoor granite was quarried extensively during
the 19th century and was used in the building of many famous buildings including
London Bridge, Nelsons column, the Thames Embankment, Vauxhall Bridge, Nelson’s
Column, British Museum, Goldsmiths Hall and the National Gallery. Swelltor
quarry was one of the larger of the disused granite quarries in the group
that lies near Princetown; some of the others being Foggintor, Kings Tor,
Ingra Tor, Heckwood Tor, Crip Tor and Merrivale. It employed up to 90 men
before the First World War but closed in the 1920s. It briefly re-opened
in 1937, but has not been worked since 1938. Stone from Swell Tor quarry
was used in the rebuilding of London Bridge at the end of the 19th century
and you can still find unused beautiful corbels carved for the widening
of the old London Bridge in 1902. These, for reasons not known, were never
collected and have lain here since 1902.
Below Swelltor Quarry lies the line of the old Princetown - Yelverton
railway line. This was originally a horse drawn tramway completed in 1823
to transport granite to Plymouth. This tramway was replaced by the Plymouth
to Princetown railway line which was first proposed by the South Devon
and Tavistock Railway Company in 1852 but did not open until 1883. The
line was operated by the Great Western Railway, but owned by the Princetown
Railway Company until 1922 when the line became part of the Great Western
Railway network. The line passed to British Railways in 1948 and closed
in 1956. Today, the disused track is a popular walking route across the
moor.
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