# Burrator

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Grouped parish council in Dartmoor

Burrator Dam, with the tor of Burrator itself covered in trees to the left

**Burrator** is a locality in the [civil parish](/source/Civil_parish) of [Sheepstor](/source/Sheepstor) in [Devon](/source/Devon), England. The name was originally given to a granite [tor](/source/Tor_(rock_formation)), and was subsequently also used for a nearby farm, wood and waterfall. In the 1890s the [Burrator Reservoir](/source/Burrator_Reservoir) was built to supply drinking water to [Plymouth](/source/Plymouth) and surrounding areas. The two dams which form the southern end of the reservoir stand either side of the tor itself. The reservoir straddles the three parishes of [Meavy](/source/Meavy), Sheepstor, and [Walkhampton](/source/Walkhampton). These three parishes now share a [grouped parish council](/source/Grouped_parish_council), called Burrator Parish Council.

## Tor

Burrator (sometimes "Burra Tor") is a [granite](/source/Granite) [tor](/source/Tor_(rock_formation)) that is exposed from the field to the woodland by the dam; located at Grid Reference 553679[1] at the southern end of the reservoir and about halfway between its two dams blocking the outlets to the [River Meavy](/source/River_Meavy) and the Sheepstor Brook.

## Grouped parish council area

The three parishes served by Burrator Parish Council have a combined area of 59.45 km2 (23 sq miles), which is generally sparsely populated. The population count in 2001 found that 1,540 people lived in the area. Since 1976, Burrator has been [twinned](/source/Twin_town) with the municipality of [Mathieu](/source/Mathieu%2C_Calvados), in [Normandy](/source/Normandy), France.[2]

Burrator Parish Council holds the ownership of the Royal Oak Inn at Meavy, which dates back to the 16th Century. The Inn is leased to a tenant publican and the council's ownership and administration of the Inn is managed by its Royal Oak Inn committee, composed of Meavy parish councillors.

[James Brooke](/source/James_Brooke), the first white [Rajah of Sarawak](/source/Rajah_of_Sarawak), died in Burrator.[3]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Burrator Perambulation"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150728093431/http://www.dartmoorsartplymouth.org.uk/how-help/organised-dartmoor-walks/burrator-perambulation/). *Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth*. Archived from [the original](http://www.dartmoorsartplymouth.org.uk/how-help/organised-dartmoor-walks/burrator-perambulation/) on 28 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Burrator Mathieu Twinning Association celebrates 40 years of twinning with French village"](https://www.tavistock-today.co.uk/news/burrator-mathieu-twinning-association-celebrates-40-years-of-twinning-with-french-village-414280). *Tavistock Times Gazette*. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Barley, p. 228.

## Further reading

- Barley, Nigel. *White Rajah*. London: Time Warner, 2002. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-316-85920-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-316-85920-2).

## External links

- [Burrator Parish Council](http://www.burrator.gov.uk)

[50°29′N 4°02′W / 50.483°N 4.033°W / 50.483; -4.033](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Burrator&params=50_29_N_4_02_W_type:city_region:GB)

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