Childe's Tomb, Ancient stone cross in Dartmoor, England
Childe's Tomb is a granite stone cross standing on Dartmoor's Fox Tor Mires, rising over two meters tall with a square socket stone and burial chamber beneath. Granite stones form a circle around the grave, creating a recognizable monument that has remained on this moorland plateau for centuries.
The original monument dates from the 11th century but was taken apart in 1812 when a local resident used the stones for building Fox Tor Farm. Some of the site was later reconstructed, allowing part of the original structure to remain visible on the moor.
The site is linked to a Saxon figure who held importance in the area, and shows how Dartmoor has long been a place where communities marked their dead with stone. The way stones form a circle and frame the burial reflects how people here honored those who had passed.
The monument sits roughly 500 meters north of Fox Tor and can be reached via the ancient Monks' Path that links Buckfast and Tavistock Abbey. The route crosses open moorland, so visitors should expect changing weather and uneven ground.
The burial site contains a kistvaen, a prehistoric stone burial box, surrounded by granite blocks set upright on their edge in a distinctive arrangement. Nine of the twelve original pedestal stones that once framed the grave are still standing in place.
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