Childe's Tomb

Childe's Tomb is a granite cross on Dartmoor in Devon, England, surrounded by one of the moor's best-known legends. It stands on open moorland near the boggy ground of Foxtor Mires, not far from Fox Tor. The cross is no longer in its original form, yet it remains more elaborate than most of the crosses found on Dartmoor.

What is Childe's Tomb?

It is a cross-shaped monument raised on a constructed stone base. That base sets it apart from the plainer, single-stone crosses seen elsewhere in the national park. A kistvaen, a rectangular burial chamber built from stone slabs, is known to lie underneath. This kind of burial is associated with very ancient times, so the spot itself may be older than the cross you see today.

What is the legend?

The story concerns Childe the Hunter, a wealthy nobleman hunting on Dartmoor. Caught in a snowstorm, he lost his way. According to the tale, he killed his horse, disembowelled it and crawled inside the carcass to survive the cold, but died anyway. Before death he supposedly left a note: whoever found his body and buried it in their church would inherit his lands at Plymstock.

In the popular version, the monks of Tavistock Abbey raced the people of Plymstock to claim the burial, and the monks won, so the estate passed to the abbey. The legend was written down in 1630 by Tristram Risdon. Some writers link Childe to Ordulf, son of Ordgar, an 11th-century Anglo-Saxon Earl of Devon, but accounts disagree on who he really was.

What happened to the original cross?

The original monument was badly damaged around 1812, when its stones were taken for building the nearby Fox Tor farmhouse. In the later 19th century it was rebuilt, with new pieces prepared at Holne, in one of the early projects of the Dartmoor Preservation Association. What stands today is therefore a reconstruction rather than an untouched antiquity.

What is the surrounding area like?

This is a remote part of southern Dartmoor. The ground is wet and difficult, so every step needs care. The nearby Fox Tor Mires are often said to have inspired Conan Doyle's Grimpen Mire in The Hound of the Baskervilles. The cross has also served as a landmark on a challenging stretch of moor.

Frequently asked questions

Is there really a grave beneath the cross? A kistvaen is known to lie under the structure. Its link to the legendary Childe the Hunter, however, remains a story rather than a proven fact.

Is the cross original? No. It was destroyed around 1812 and rebuilt in the late 19th century, though it is still one of Dartmoor's more elaborate crosses.

Why visit? For the mix of legend, conservation history and stark moorland scenery. It suits walkers who enjoy tales of the past.

Is the walk easy? Not always. The surrounding bogs can be treacherous, so bring a map and sturdy boots, and check the weather before setting out.