The Haytor Granite Tramway

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To the north of Haytor Rocks, on the eastern edge of Dartmoor in the English county of Devon, are the disused remains of an old granite quarry and a granite tramway built to move stones from the quarry down to the Stover Canal, from where it was shipped to different parts of England.

The trackway was built in 1820 and remained operational until 1858. But the transport of this heavy and bulky commodity was a significant problem. In the absence of railways and reliable roads, the granite had to be carried by horse drawn carts which was both costly and time consuming.