Talk:Tor (geography)

Tor Pages
I plan to expand/create a few pages for individual tors over the next couple of weeks, using Crossing and personal experience as my main sources. I'll start with the obvious ones (Yes, Cosdon, Haytor, Mis, North Hess, Hound); anyone got any other suggestions as to what should be included? sjcollier 22:49, 1 October 2005 (UTC)

I'd suggest those which are most prominent and have local history/folklore associated with them, plus interesting geology, rather than those that are highest. Off the top of my head: Bellever (once the site of an annual gathering, plus nearby antiquities on Lakehead Hill). That kind of thing. Your list looks good. JonC

Dor disamb.
Can we have this page renamed tor (hill) and have tor referr to a the disambig. page?

High Willhays
High Willhays is not a tor, it is just the highest point on dartmoor, request deletion or moving.

I'm not sure about this. (a) High Willhays does have rocks on its summit (part of the accepted definition of a Tor and (b) most Dartmoor people will refer to a prominent hill as a tor even if it doesn't have the word associated with its name. In fact there are some 'tors' which barely deserve the title. I'd have thought that High Willhays is one summit that is a tor in everything but name. What do others think? JonC

Merge with hill
Why? It's a distinct type of hill. I don't see the point of this suggested merger. -- Necrothesp 14:26, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree, there is enough valuable information (as well as potential valuable information) in this article to keep it standalone, IMO. -- Ynhockey (Talk) 19:54, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

Indeed. Whatever the reasons, tors have a cultural and literary significance which is specific to them and which extends beyond the mere topographical phenomenon. I could see how someone from outside Britain might not understand this, but I think most who are familiar with the concept will agree it deserves its own page. --Yst 20:41, 7 April 2006 (UTC)

In the Netherlands in a geology book they say: In een granietgebied ziet men, vooral op de toppen van de heuvels, opeenstapelingen van wolzakken, uitsteken, die granietklippen (tors) worden genoemd. In this case only the naked granite on the summit of the hill is the tor.86.81.117.215 09:47, 10 April 2006 (UTC)
 * I have to say that that is the commonly understood meaning in the English West Country as well - generally only the exposed rock would be regarded as the tor proper by most people. The Oxford English Dictionary gives both meanings - the whole hill and the rock on top of it. -- Necrothesp 12:17, 11 April 2006 (UTC)

I dinnae agree with the merger. There are specific geological things to say about tors that don't apply to any old hill, in addition to the cultural significance metioned by Yst (Yes Tor?) above. On another note, I've also always thought of the tor as the rocky bit on top, and not the whole hill; I'd presumed that Shining Tor and the like were hills that took their names from tors and not tors in their own right. I'll take Wikipedia and the OED's word for it, though. 86.136.6.239 18:19, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
 * Seconded. I would use the word primarily to mean a large weathered granite or gritstone outcrop, such as are found in the Peak District or on Ben Avon. The latter article actually says The summit plateau is dominated by granite tors, one of which forms the summit. Perhaps this should be emphasised more fully in the article. Blisco 10:17, 30 April 2006 (UTC)

It shouldn't be merged. The term has a distinct geomorphological meaning, as indicated above, in addition to a more general usage. The description could be added to... —Preceding unsigned comment added by El pavo (talk • contribs) 16:25, 25 April 2006

I've removed the merge tag, as consensus here is overwhelmingly against the merger. I've added a little bit in Hill about different types of hills, which should go some way to addressing the mergists' concerns. -- Blisco 10:53, 20 May 2006 (UTC)

More work?
This article requires much more work.

The physical processes that lead to the formation of tors is still very uncertain and there are several theories with equal standing, none of which are mentioned.