Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The on site museum preserves objects recovered from the mounds.
Charaideo Moidam
Al Jazirah Al Hamra Heritage Village
Complejo Cultural Fábrica Imbabura
Guptill's Arena
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Stock up on picnic supplies with a side of history.
Horton Bay General Store
Take some of Michigan’s produce home with you.
American Spoon
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
about 22 hours ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
2 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
3 days ago
Though they’re protected inside the park, wolves can be killed when they cross its borders.
Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.
3 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Devon Bowerman's Nose

Bowerman's Nose

The legend says that this English rock formation was once a hunter who was turned to stone by annoyed witches.

Devon, England

Added By
Eric Grundhauser
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Bowerman’s Nose   Mark A Coleman on FLickr
Bowerman’s Nose   Mark A Coleman on FLickr
Bowerman’s Nose   Abi Skipp on Flickr
Bowerman’s Nose   Expectmohr on Flickr
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Jutting abruptly out of a grassy field in Devon, and standing out even among the other rocky formations nearby, the tall stone spire known as Bowerman's Nose is the center of a legend that tells of a hunter who was turned to granite by a coven of annoyed witches. 

As the story goes, a hunter named Bowerman was out hunting with his hounds when they came across a circle of witches broomstick deep in a magic ritual. An apparently clumsy hunter, Bowerman is said to have upended the witches cauldron which was super frustrating to them because they would have to start their ritual over. To take revenge for this inconvenience, one of the witches turned into a hare and got the hunting party to chase her right into a mire where the witches surrounded Bowerman and his hounds and turned them to stone. Harsh.

The granite spire known as Bowerman's Nose is said to be all that remains of the hunter (the hounds are said to be represented by the nearby Hounds Tor formation). In reality the rock is actually the center of a former tor which has simply eroded away to a profile that slightly resembles a human visage. It is no boorish-hunter-gets-transfomed-to-stone-by-witches, but it is the truth. 

Related Tags

Rocks Mythology Witchcraft Geology

Community Contributors

Added By

EricGrundhauser

Edited By

MagnumPI, aribrown

  • MagnumPI
  • aribrown

Published

October 1, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerman's_Nose
  • http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/learningabout/lab-studentarea/dartmoor-legends/the-legend-of-bowermans-nose
  • http://www.legendarydartmoor.co.uk/bowermans.htm
Bowerman's Nose
Dartmoor National Park
Devon, England, TQ13 9UL
United Kingdom
50.610111, -3.778381
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Jay's Grave

Devon, England

miles away

Hound Tor

Devon, England

miles away

Widecombe Fair Horse

Widecombe in the Moor, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Devon

Devon

England

Places 14
Stories 2

Nearby Places

Jay's Grave

Devon, England

miles away

Hound Tor

Devon, England

miles away

Widecombe Fair Horse

Widecombe in the Moor, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Devon

Devon

England

Places 14
Stories 2

Related Places

  • “La griffe du Diable” (the claw of the devil)

    Uchon, France

    Les Rochers du Carnaval

    Erosion left these fascinating granite formations strewn across fields and mountains in Burgundy.

  • Zuma Rock

    Abuja, Nigeria

    Zuma Rock

    This igneous rock monolith towers above the surrounding landscape just outside the Nigerian capital.

  • Rocks of Rovigliano

    Torre Annunziata, Italy

    Rock of Rovigliano

    This tiny islet has somehow housed an ancient temple, two monasteries, a church, a fortress, and a restaurant.

  • Split Apple Rock.

    Kaiteriteri, New Zealand

    Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock

    This unusual rock formation looks like an apple that has been neatly sliced in half.

  • Drangurinn Rock

    Iceland

    Drangurinn Rock

    Icelandic folklore says this giant boulder was ripped from the mountains and placed at its current location, where it became home to elves.

  • Fairy Rock behind Saltom Pit

    Whitehaven, England

    Fairy Rock

    Local legends say that fairies used to dance in the moonlight here and invite handsome young men into their grottoes.

  • Detail of carving

    Eskilstuna, Sweden

    Sigurdsristningen (Sigurd Carving)

    Stone carvings record the Norse myth of Sigurd, providing a glimpse into Scandinavia's transition from paganism to Christianity.

  • The Rock at Pagua

    Atkinson, Dominica

    The Rock at Pagua

    A flower grows on this giant stone that is said be able to control minds.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.