Romantic Breaks in Devon: Where to Stay, What to Do and How to Avoid the Crowds

Devon is one of England’s most romantic destinations for couples — but the key to a truly special break is knowing where to stay, when to go and how to avoid the crowds. From thatched cottages with cosy fires to quiet villages and epic walks, this guide shares the most romantic things to do in Devon, plus insider ways to enjoy it calmly and beautifully.

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Where To Stay on a Romantic Devon Break

Voted one of Devon’s best places to stay on a romantic break by The Times, Tatler AND Conde Nast Traveller, Moorland View Cottage places you in the heart of Dartmoor, where many of Devon’s most memorable experiences begin at the door.

This luxury thatched cottage on Dartmoor is for couples who want quiet surroundings, beautiful walks from the door, cosy fires and time together — without busy resorts or crowds. With a crackling log fire, a huge bath for two, dreamy Dartmoor views and a rose garden, Moorland View is the perfect destination for relaxing and easy romantic breaks, honeymoons and mini-moons. If you want your holiday to feel calm and unrushed, choosing the right accommodation makes all the difference.

Moorland View in Dartmoor, Devon

Is Moorland View the best place for your romantic break?

✔️ A peaceful, romantic cottage for couples
✔️ A luxury break that feels relaxed rather than formal
✔️ Easy access to Dartmoor walks, scenery and villages
✔️ A calm, adult-focused atmosphere with no shared facilities
✔️ An ideal base for anniversaries, mini-moons and meaningful time away
❌ Large group or family-focused stays
❌ Busy nightlife, resorts or on-site entertainment

• Wood-burning stove (firewood supplied)

• Pop-up home cinema

• Copper slipper bath for two

• Dreamy Dartmoor views

• Thatched village gastropub

• Dartmoor walks from the doorstep

• Luxury spa and country club nearby

• Close to Michelin-starred Gidleigh Park

• Sunny walled rose garden

• Complimentary welcome hamper & wine

• Sonos music system

• Exclusive insider travel tips

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The Best Things for Couples to do on a Romantic Devon Break

Star-gazing on Hound Tor

Here are some of our favourite date ideas for couples — the kinds of days that shape an unforgettable romantic break in Devon. Some of are well known — and deservedly so. But some of the most authentic, memorable travel experiences often happen off the beaten track. Guests who book a stay at Moorland View receive access to our private, guest-only guides, where we share all our very best insider secrets. It’s our way of helping you experience Devon at its most romantic — and least rushed.

• Romantic Walks With Big Views And No Crowds

  Stroll around picture-perfect thatched villages
  North Bovey is our favourite places because of its local walks and hidden gems close to the cottage, but Lustleigh, tucked away in a wooded cleave, comes a close second. It’s a rural idyll with a 13th-century church, cricket pitch, communal orchard, tea room, village shop and a friendly pub. The walk there from the cottage is one of our favourites.

  Climb a Dartmoor tor
  For a heady shot of country air and instant perspective, take the walk up Easdon Tor — the hill you see from the main bedroom window at Moorland View. At the top you’ll get 360-degree views and likely company from grazing Dartmoor ponies.

  Walk to Lustleigh
  The walk from North Bovey to Lustleigh is a classic: gorgeous views, a Roman fort and the magical woodland glen of Lustleigh Cleave. There’s a pub at the end. Book a taxi back if you don’t fancy returning on foot.

  Walk a Dartmoor gorge
  Taking in a fairy-tale castle, an oak-lined gorge, an ancient stone bridge and a traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the River Teign is one of Dartmoor’s most romantic routes. Woodland paths, shaded pools and tiny rocky beaches make it perfect for picnics and toe-dipping. Finish with cream tea at Fingle Bridge Inn.

  Take in a view
  Haytor is one of Devon’s most famous viewpoints. On a clear day you can see the coast, estuary, moors and rolling countryside. The Rock Inn in Haytor Vale is a good food stop afterwards.

  Visit an ancient oak forest
  Wistman’s Wood is a rare remnant of Dartmoor’s prehistoric dwarf oak woodland. Moss-furred oaks and boulder-strewn ground make it feel otherworldly. The easy walk starts near Two Bridges.

  Visit the White Lady Gorge
  Lydford Gorge is one of Devon’s most romantic natural landscapes: deep oak woodland, tumbling water and the dramatic White Lady Waterfall. Go early for the quietest experience.

  Climb to a 12th-century hilltop church
  Dartmoor’s rugged landscape offers endless opportunities for private walks. One of the most romantic places to visit in Devon is the tiny parish church of St Michel de Rupe on Brent Tor, with spectacular views across the moor.

• Food, Wine and Fireside Tables for Two

  Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant
  Gidleigh Park is a grand Tudor-style manor set in woodland near Chagford, known for its refined cooking and extensive wine list. Make an occasion of it and walk the grounds beforehand.

  Drink Dartmoor ale straight from the cask
  The Rugglestone Inn in Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a moorland classic: flagstone floors, open fires and ale poured straight from the barrel, with a sheltered garden and wide views.

  Dine at a country inn on the edge of the moor
  The Dartmoor Inn near Lydford blends old-world charm with modern cooking and is perfectly placed for a walk beforehand. Booking ahead is wise.

  Have lunch at a floating river café
  The River Exe Café off Exmouth is a floating pontoon serving ultra-fresh seafood. Closed in winter and booking is essential in summer.

  Eat crispy squid by the sea
  The Beach House at South Milton Sands is a weather-beaten shack right on the sand — ideal for a relaxed, romantic coastal stop.

  Shuck oysters by the estuary
  The Oyster Shack near Bigbury is famed for its freshness, serving oysters pulled from the nearby River Avon.

  Eat at a cosy pub with French flair
  The Millbrook Inn at South Pool mixes Devon comfort with French touches, live gypsy jazz and summer fish barbecues.

  Eat fish and chips by the harbour
  Rockfish in Dartmouth serves excellent fish and chips alongside locally landed seafood in a relaxed waterside setting.

  Indulge in a traditional Devon cream tea
  The Endsleigh near Tavistock is known for its generous scones, thick clotted cream and elegant, fireside surroundings.

• Castles, Grandeur and Sights with ‘Main Character Energy’

  See how the other half live
  Powderham Castle near Topsham is one of Devon’s oldest family seats, set in a deer park and open for tours through its medieval, neo-classical and Victorian rooms.

  Take a tour of Britain’s last castle
  Castle Drogo near Drewsteignton, designed by Lutyens, offers sweeping views over the Teign Gorge and a fine walk nearby. Check restoration updates before visiting.

  Have Sunday lunch on a tidal island
  Burgh Island’s art-deco hotel is gloriously atmospheric. Non-residents can dine on Sundays when tides allow. Booking is essential.

  Visit a grand Georgian house
  Saltram House near Plymouth has a refined Robert Adam interior and a setting familiar to fans of period drama.

  Visit Agatha Christie’s holiday home
  Greenway, near Dartmouth, remains wonderfully intact, with beautiful gardens overlooking the River Dart. Arriving by ferry is especially scenic.

• Water, Wild Swimming and Romantic River Days

  Swim in a stream-fed pool
  The outdoor pool at Chagford sits beside the River Teign and feels as close to nature as swimming gets. It’s bracing but unforgettable.

  Swim in the River Dart
  Spitchwick offers clean water, leafy surroundings and natural swimming pools. Go early on warm days to avoid crowds.

  Boat up the River Dart
  From Dartmoor to Dartmouth, the River Dart is perfect for gentle boat trips or private picnic cruises, with opportunities to stop off along the way.

  Go sea kayaking
  Guided sea-kayak trips along the south coast reveal caves and coves inaccessible on foot, with seals often close by.

  Go canoeing or kayaking on the moor
  The River Dart offers some of Dartmoor’s best paddling routes, with guided excursions available for different abilities.

  Fish for your supper
  Dartmoor’s rivers and reservoirs are renowned for wild trout and salmon, offering wonderfully peaceful fishing spots for licensed anglers.

• Suzy’s Top Secret Romantic Places

  We could list every secret here… but then they wouldn’t be secrets!

  We’ve spent years discovering Devon’s most magical, uncrowded spots — and we don’t give them away lightly!

  Book a stay at Moorland View and we’ll quietly pass on the insider tips that make all the difference. Our most precious Devon discoveries are reserved for Moorland View guests, shared once you’ve booked — just between us.
  
  🗝️ Unlock our guest-only Devon guide

• Road Trips, Big Skies and the Kind of Days You’ll Always Remember

  Take a road trip across the high moor
  A drive across Dartmoor takes in ancient bridges, granite tors, thatched villages and 14th-century churches — one of Devon’s most romantic ways to explore.

  Stargaze under dark skies
  With little light pollution, Dartmoor is perfect for stargazing. Hound Tor is an easy, romantic spot for watching the Milky Way on clear nights.

  Take to the skies in a hot-air balloon
  A balloon flight over Dartmoor or towards the coast is a breathtakingly romantic way to see Devon from above.

• Beaches, Coastal Walks and Salty Air

  Bask on a beautiful beach
  From sheltered coves near Salcombe to wide sandy bays further west, Devon’s south coast offers romance year-round. Go early in summer for the quietest experience.

  Walk the South West Coast Path
  Clifftop paths between Bolt Tail and Bolt Head offer big views, hidden coves and a sense of wildness that’s hard to beat.

  Visit Salcombe
  Pretty in every season, Salcombe is ideal for wandering, sandy coves and lingering harbour-side lunches.

  Drink in a pirate’s island haunt
  The Pilchard Inn on Burgh Island is rich in history and drama — and reaching it at low tide or by sea tractor adds to the romance.

  Watch the sun set on a west-facing bay
  Croyde Bay is one of Devon’s best sunset spots, with sweeping sands and dramatic cliffs glowing at dusk.

• Romantic Little Towns for Browsing, Cafés and Pottering

  Stock up in Chagford
  A charming stannary town with good cafés, delis and independent shops, perfect for a slow afternoon. Note the half-day closing on Wednesdays.

  Hunt for antiques in Ashburton
  Elegant and full of character, Ashburton is known for antiques, good food and a relaxed, grown-up atmosphere.

  Take a city stroll in Exeter
  Historic streets, a Norman cathedral and a lively quayside make Exeter ideal for a gentle cultural day out.

  Visit Topsham
  This estuary town is full of narrow lanes, waterside pubs and antique shops, with a wonderfully relaxed feel.

• Is Devon good for a couples’ getaway?

  Yes — especially for couples who enjoy nature, good food, beautiful places and privacy rather than busy resorts.

• When's the best time of year for a romantic break in Devon?

  Devon is romantic in every season, but many couples prefer:

  • Autumn for colour, calm and fireside evenings

  • Winter for moorland walks, starry skies and cosy pubs

  • Spring for blossom, birdsong and fresh light

  • Early summer for long evenings before peak crowds arrive

  Some of the most magical stays happen outside school holidays, when Devon feels slower and more intimate.

  Visit our FAQ page for more romantic break booking tips

• How can I avoid the crowds on a romantic break in Devon?

  The simplest way to avoid crowds in Devon is to choose the right location and timing. Staying inland on Dartmoor, rather than in busy coastal resorts, gives you immediate access to quiet walks, peaceful villages and open landscapes — even during peak season.

  Travelling in spring or autumn, visiting popular places early or later in the day, and choosing a well-located base so you’re not constantly driving between hotspots all make a big difference. Many of Devon’s most romantic experiences happen away from the main tourist centres, where the pace is slower and the atmosphere more intimate.

  When couples book a stay with us, we also share our detailed insider tips — including the quietest times to visit, lesser-known walks and uncrowded places that aren’t obvious from guidebooks — so guests can enjoy Devon at its most relaxed and unspoilt.

• Is Dartmoor or the coast better for a romantic break?

  Both are romantic, but they offer very different experiences.

  Dartmoor is ideal for couples who want privacy, space and atmosphere. Expect wild moorland walks, misty sunsets, crackling fires, dark skies and peaceful villages where you can spend whole days without seeing crowds. It’s especially romantic outside peak summer and perfect for slowing down and reconnecting.

  The Devon coast suits couples who love sea views, beach walks and lively harbour towns. It’s beautiful, but often busier, particularly during school holidays, and usually involves more driving between places.

  For many couples, the best choice is Dartmoor as a romantic base, with the coast enjoyed as a day trip. This gives you calm, seclusion and cosy evenings, while still having Devon’s beaches within easy reach — without the crowds or constant travelling.

• Are there any romantic, dog-friendly cottages in Devon?

  Yes — there are dog-friendly romantic breaks in Devon, especially if you choose a private cottage like Moorland View rather than a hotel.

  Many couples want to bring their dog without sacrificing peace, privacy or atmosphere, and rural Devon is ideal for this. Areas like Dartmoor are particularly popular, offering quiet walks, open landscapes and dog-friendly pubs — perfect for relaxed days out together.

  Moorland View Cottage offers a dog-friendly romantic break for couples who want both comfort and character. One well-behaved adult dog is welcome, and the cottage’s peaceful village setting, moorland walks from the door and cosy interiors mean you don’t have to compromise on romance to bring your dog along.

  For couples, the most romantic dog-friendly breaks in Devon are those that combine seclusion, beautiful scenery and a stay designed around adults, rather than busy, multi-dog holiday parks or large hotels.

  Many couples choose Dartmoor for a romantic escape with their dog, thanks to its peaceful walks, open landscapes and relaxed, dog-friendly pubs. Moorland View Cottage welcomes one well-behaved adult dog, offering couples a secluded, characterful base where they can enjoy privacy, cosy interiors and moorland walks straight from the door — without compromising on romance.

• Where is the most romantic place to stay in Devon?

  The most romantic places to stay in Devon are peaceful, secluded locations rather than busy resorts. Many couples find Dartmoor especially romantic, thanks to its wild landscapes, ancient villages and sense of escape.

  Set in the historic Dartmoor village of North Bovey, Moorland View Cottage is designed specifically for romantic breaks. This thatched, Grade II-listed cottage offers privacy, a wood-burning stove, a copper bath for two and easy access to Devon’s most beautiful walks, restaurants and spas — making it an ideal base for a truly romantic stay.

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Shhh! Devon’s best beaches are too good to share on the internet!

Brent Tor is one of Devon’s most romantic destinations

Along with our recommendations below, Moorland View guests receive access to top secret spots which are too special to put on the internet! We include:

• Quieter walks and alternative routes

• Uncrowded viewpoints and swimming spots

• Lesser-known cafés, pubs and picnic places

• Tips on timing popular sights to avoid crowds

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• Top Tips for Honeymooning in Devon

• The best places to propose in Devon

• A scenic Dartmoor road trip perfect for couples

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About the author

This blog is written by Suzy Bennett, The Telegraph’s Devon travel expert and owner of Moorland View Cottage. Suzy has been welcoming couples to Devon’s most romantic corners for over 20 years — combining first-hand local knowledge with real hosting experience to help guests plan unforgettable romantic breaks.

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A Scenic Dartmoor Road Trip

A Scenic Dartmoor Road Trip — Starting and Ending at Moorland View Cottage

Moorland View: The Perfect Starting Point

Set in the heart of Dartmoor National Park, North Bovey is one of Dartmoor’s prettiest and most unspoilt villages — and home to Moorland View Cottage. With no streetlights and barely any traffic, it’s a calm, restorative place to begin and end each day.

Enjoy a slow farmhouse breakfast back at the cottage, then set off knowing every stop on today’s route sits comfortably within reach.

1. Explore a Bronze Age Village at Grimspound

Your first stop is Grimspound, one of Dartmoor’s most atmospheric ancient sites. Dating back to around 1300 BC, this stone-walled settlement contains 24 Bronze Age hut circles enclosed by a granite perimeter wall.

Its haunting setting famously inspired Conan Doyle and appears in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Free to visit and open year-round, Grimspound is a powerful introduction to Dartmoor’s ancient landscape.

2. Visit an Ancient Oak Forest at Wistman’s Wood

Continue towards Two Bridges to visit Wistman's Wood, a rare remnant of Dartmoor’s original oak forest. Twisted dwarf oaks, thick with moss and lichen, rise from a boulder-strewn floor, creating a scene that feels almost mythical.

The gentle one-hour return walk is achievable for most visitors. Afterwards, pause for lunch or a cream tea nearby before continuing the loop.

3. Discover Dartmoor’s Dramatic Past at Princetown

In the centre of the moor lies Princetown, home to the formidable Dartmoor Prison Museum. Once housing some of Britain’s most notorious offenders, the museum offers a fascinating and unsettling insight into the prison’s past.

If the museum feels a little intense, Princetown itself is still worth a short wander, with its stark setting and sweeping moorland backdrop.

4. Stretch Your Legs Where the Rivers Meet at Dartmeet

Stretch your legs at Dartmeet, where the East and West Dart rivers meet beneath an 18th-century stone bridge. In warmer months, the shallow water is ideal for paddling; at any time of year, it’s one of the most scenic stopping points on the moor.

5. Wander One of Dartmoor’s Prettiest Villages: Buckland-in-the-Moor

Next, visit the tiny hamlet of Buckland-in-the-Moor, one of Devon’s most irresistibly pretty villages. Wander among its thatched cottages, step inside the ancient church, and walk above the village to find the Ten Commandments carved into exposed rock.

6. Browse Independent Shops and Delis in Ashburton

Known as the gateway to the moor, Ashburton is an elegant town whose prosperity was founded on cloth and tin. Today it’s a pleasure to explore, with antique shops, delis, cafés and well-regarded restaurants lining its slate-hung streets.

Ashburton is also the most convenient fuel stop on this route before heading back onto the open moor.

7. Visit the Iconic Moorland Village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor

One of Dartmoor’s most beautiful villages, Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a highlight of the drive. Its church, St Pancras, is crowned by a towering spire often called the Cathedral of the Moor. Inside, boards recount the dramatic storm of 1638, when lightning struck during a service and the Devil was blamed.

Pause for lunch at the Rugglestone Inn, with open fires and flagstone floors, or browse the National Trust shop in the square, known for woollen blankets and locally made homewares.

8. Walk to Breathtaking Views at Hound Tor

Before heading home, stop at Hound Tor, one of Dartmoor’s most accessible viewpoints. A short walk leads to sweeping views across the moor, with the remains of a medieval village lying just below the tor.

9. Return to Moorland View Cottage

As the light softens over the hills, return to Moorland View Cottage. Light the fire, sink into a deep bath, or wander down to The Ring of Bells for dinner and a drink.

This is the pleasure of staying somewhere perfectly placed: no long drives at the end of the day, just the feeling of having explored Dartmoor at its best — then coming back to somewhere quietly special.

Book Your Stay at Moorland View Cottage

Experience Dartmoor like this: unhurried, beautifully circular, and centred on one exceptional place to come home to.

AT A GLANCE

• Starting point: North Bovey (from Moorland View)

• Typical duration: Half day to full day (flexible)

• Best for: Scenic driving, gentle walks, photography, first-time Dartmoor visitors

• Best seasons: Spring to autumn (clear winter days can be stunning too)

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This scenic drive is just one of many carefully curated Dartmoor experiences we share with our guests. When you stay at Moorland View Cottage, you’ll also receive:

• Quiet road suggestions most visitors miss

• Best timings to avoid crowds

• Seasonal food and pub recommendations

• Walks matched to weather and energy levels

The best Dartmoor experiences aren’t in the guidebooks — they’re shared here!

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ROUTE

North Bovey → Grimspound → Wistman’s Wood → Princetown → Dartmeet → Buckland-in-the-Moor → Ashburton → Widecombe-in-the-Moor → Hound Tor → North Bovey

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

Dartmeet

• Why start this Dartmoor scenic drive from Moorland View Cottage?

  Starting in North Bovey means you’re immediately on some of Dartmoor’s quietest, most beautiful roads. There’s no need to cross busy sections of the moor first, and you avoid doubling back later in the day.

  Guests staying at Moorland View benefit from a natural circular route, shorter driving distances and the flexibility to dip in and out of stops depending on the weather. It’s an ideal “slow travel” Dartmoor experience — especially for a romantic break.

  Many guests tell us this is their favourite day of their stay.

• What do I need to know about driving on Dartmoor?

  There is one main road that runs across the centre of Dartmoor, with cuntless narrow, country lanes leading off it.

  Drive slowly and carefully. Sheep, ponies and cattle often wander onto Dartmoor roads, and many are injured or killed each year by speeding vehicles.

  On narrow lanes, the driver closest to a passing place usually reverses. If you’re not confident, it’s fine to wait — and always offer a friendly wave of thanks.

  Book your stay at Moorland View Cottage to experience Dartmoor like this: unhurried, beautifully circular, and centred on one exceptional place to come home to.

• Are there any petrol stations on Dartmoor?

  Petrol stations are few and far between on the moor. The most reliable fuel stop on this route is in Ashburton.

• Where is the best place to stop for lunch on this Dartmoor scenic drive?

  One of the most reliable and relaxed lunch stops on this route is in Widecombe-in-the-Moor. The village has a small selection of welcoming cafés clustered around the green, making it easy to park nearby and enjoy an unhurried break.

  Widecombe is especially good for light lunches, homemade cakes and coffee, and it’s a natural pause point before heading back across the moor. On quieter days, it’s a lovely spot to linger and soak up the village atmosphere before continuing the drive.

  We share timing tips with Moorland View guests to help you arrive before the busiest periods.

• Best time of year for a Dartmoor road trip

  Late spring through early autumn offers the best balance of long daylight hours and road conditions. Clear winter days can be magical, but always check weather and visibility before heading out.

  We provide seasonal advice to guests on arrival.

• Grimspound: what is it and is it worth stopping?

  Grimspound is one of Dartmoor’s most atmospheric prehistoric settlements — a Bronze Age village set high on the open moor. Stone hut circles sit within a protective wall, with sweeping views across the landscape.

  It’s a short, gentle walk from the parking area and an excellent early stop to stretch your legs. On quiet days, it feels wonderfully remote and timeless.

• Wistman’s Wood: how difficult is the walk?

  Wistman’s Wood is an ancient, moss-draped oak woodland that feels almost mythical. The walk is uneven and rocky but relatively short, making it accessible for most reasonably fit visitors wearing sturdy shoes.

  Mist, low light and twisted trees make this one of Dartmoor’s most photographed places — especially atmospheric in cooler months.

Grimspound

Wistman’s Wood

Ashburton

Widecombe in the Moor

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Devon's Perfect Pubs

Gastro pubs, traditional pubs, pubs with walks, pubs with gardens - here’s our guide to Devon’s best pubs.

The Ring of Bells, North Bovey

1. Ring of Bells, North Bovey

Our friendly village pub, the Ring of Bells, is a traditional thatched 13th century longhouse, complete with oak beams, wonky walls and log-burning stoves. The food is delicious, there's a great wine list and ales are poured straight from the barrel.

2. The Horse, Moretonhampstead

Heralded as a ‘genuine slice of foodie heaven’ by the Michelin guide, the Horse serves some of the best pub food in Devon, in contemporary pub setting. There's a pretty walled courtyard for dining al fresco on summer evenings. 

3. The Cleave, Lustleigh

The Cleave is a thatched Devon pub in the pretty village Lustleigh, the next village up from Moorland View. Flagstone floors, wood-beamed walls and crackling log fires make it one of the cosiest places to hole up while outside is a sunny pub garden for warm days. The food is hearty, delicious and generously portioned. For a good day trip, walk to Lustleigh from the cottage, have lunch at The Cleave and book a cab back (or walk if your legs are up to it).

4. The Pilchard Inn, Burgh Island, Bigbury on Sea

A creaky, weather-beaten smugglers inn dating from 1336 on a private island (ask about the smuggler’s escape tunnel). Getting to The Pilchard Inn is all part of the fun - it's cut off by tides from the mainland twice a day, when transport across is by sea tractor.

5. The Rugglestone, Widecombe-on-the-Moor

With flagstone floors, open fires and Dartmoor and Butcombe Best Bitter poured straight from the barrel, the Rugglestone, a Grade-II building in remote Widecombe, is Devon’s best moorland pub. The rudimentary bar is tiny, providing plenty of opportunity to join in on the old boys’ conversations. The two restaurants - one of which has an open log fire – are more spacious, and outside, over a small bridge, is a large sheltered garden with picnic tables and fabulous views. 

6. Chagford Inn, Chagford

Under Head Chef, Russell Hamby, The Chagford Inn produces as much in-house as possible – ranging from baking their own bread to curing our own bacon, coppa, bresaola, salt beef, pastrami, fish and our version of Serrano ham. Their Dexter beef travels about half a mile from local farmer Richard ‘Elmo’ Ellis’s farm and is butchered and prepared totally in-house. Cuts and dishes change regularly … from rib eye steak through confit Dexter flank to roasted ox liver - no part of the animal is wasted. They don’t use stock cubes or anything ready prepared, and bones are roasted every morning to produce rich and delicious stocks. Menus change daily. At the time of writing, dishes included seared scallops with squid ink risotto, confit pork belly with puy lentil cassoulet and celeriac remoulade and, for dessert, plum and ginger crumble with ice cream or clotted cream. On Sunday lunchtime, they offer a traditional roast – always beef, occasionally, another roast meat – as well as a range of other dishes including vegetarian options. Dogs are welcome.

7. The Dartmoor Inn, Lydford Gorge

On the fringe of Dartmoor and a stone's throw from one of the National Trust's prettiest walks in Lydford Gorge, the Dartmoor Inn is the perfect blend of olde worlde pub-meets-contemporary diner. Sunday lunch features all the traditional favourites with a modern twist. Desserts are not to be missed either, and come with a helping of seriously good clotted cream. Book ahead, but be careful not to confuse it with a different Dartmoor Inn.

8. . The Cott Inn, Dartington

First licensed in 1320, The Cott is the second oldest inn in Britain and its roof is reputed to be the longest thatched roof in England. Walkable from the River Dart and just a mile from Totnes train station, it is lively and welcoming, with a strong local following. Outside there's a spacious beer garden and patio, plus a wood-fired oven in a separate garden kitchen, which is used from March to September. It's not a rowdy Devon pub, although there are regular music nights – on Wednesdays an acoustic folk trio play and there's also a live band on Sundays. 

9. The Nobody Inn , Doddiscombsleigh

There’s a story in every nook of this 17th century inn; allegedly the central beam separating two periods of the inn – stood vertically here – is from a local church’s bell tower; you can see where ropes have worn the wood away. Blackened oak beams jut from low ceilings, antique weapons and farm tools hang from rough plaster walls, and an entire wall is given over to the Nobody Inn’s collection of 240 whiskies and spirits, while another room houses the 250-strong wine collection.

10. The Millbrook, South Pool

Probably the only place in Devon where pigs’ trotter patties and escargots appear on the same menu, the Millbrook is a cosy pub where old-school Devon meets French auberge. On a babbling brook and close to a tranquil creek, it’s accessible by boat from Salcombe so, in summer, yachtie crowds come and go with the tides. There’s live gypsy Jazz every Sunday and fish barbecues in the summer. 

11. The Pigs’s Nose, East Prawle

This whitewashed smuggler’s inn is on one of Devon’s beautiful stretches of coastal path, at Prawle Point. Run by a delightfully eccentric music manager, The Pig’s Nose has played host to The Animals, The Yardbirds, the Boomtown Rats and Curiosity Killed the Cat, and still stages regular acts. The knitting corner is for customers who prefer a quieter pint. 

12. The Bridge Inn, Topsham

One of England’s last traditional ale houses, little has changed at The Bridge Inn for centuries: faded bunting from George V’s 1911 coronation still hangs in the tiny bar. This ‘museum-with-beer’ is a must for ale connoisseurs. 

14. The Ship Inn, Noss Mayo

The sun terrace of this two-storey inn on the banks of the Yealm estuary is our favourite Devon pub for a waterside tipple. Inside, there’s a panelled library, English-oak floors, log fires, old furniture and interesting nautical memorabilia, including searchlights, torpedoes and an impressive ship’s bell which is used for chiming last orders. The cellar stocks a great range of regional beers, including Summerskill’s, brewed just down the road. The local sailing school has an excellent reputation; there is boat hire, easy coastal walking and crabbing.

15. Waterman’s Arms, Ashprington

A waterside pub makes summer complete, and we defy you not to fall in love with the 17th-century Waterman’s Arms, overlooking tinkling Bow Creek, near Tuckenhay. Hidden away at the bottom of a steep valley, the streamside tables are perfect for savouring a pint of the fine Palmer’s Copper Ale. The lunches, sourced from local suppliers and served under an outdoor awning, attract foodies from as far away as Exeter and Plymouth. Another enticing option is the Maltsters Arms(01803 732350; tuckenhay.com) in Tuckenhay. On the River Dart, it has its own jetty and is big on open fires in winter and guest beers all year round.

16. Rising Sun, Lynmouth

Overlooking Lynmouth harbour, with dramatic views of Lynmouth Bay and Exmoor National Park, this 14th-century thatched smugglers’ inn is in one of Devon’s most picturesque locations. Inside, this Devon pub is wonderfully rickety and rambling, with a fire-lit bar, Exmoor cask ales, award-winning food and genial locals. It’s no wonder RD Blackmore felt compelled to write several chapters of his West Country classic, Lorna Doone, here. It also appealed to Percy Bysshe Shelley, who is thought to have spent his honeymoon there with his 16-year-old bride, Harriet, in 1812.

17. Warren House Inn, high Dartmoor

Since 1845, travellers across the moor have been stopping for refreshment at Warren House Inn, the highest inn in the southwest. Once a favourite Devon pub with local tin miners, it now serves up real ales, warming soups, ploughman’s lunches and local steak and ale pies to a mix of locals and tourists. Another special is their Warrener’s Pie, made with fresh-cooked rabbit.

18. Farmers Arms, Woolfardisworthy

A short drive from the coastal village of Clovelly, the Farmers Arms builds its dishes around ingredients foraged by staff from local hedgerows and coastlines, and from its dedicated organic farm, which is run under a ‘no-till’ sustainable agroforestry system. The result? A truly innovative, original and ever-changing menu that combines style, substance and scruples. Dishes during my visit included carrot and dog rose parfait, a riotously colourful goat’s cheese salad, roasted seabass with nasturtium, mussels and smoked trout, and for dessert, vanilla rice pudding with seabuckthorn, gorse rum and fig leaf sorbet. The décor is divine; the staff, dynamic. If you eat out only once in Devon, let it be here.

Best Restaurants in Devon

Our guide to the best restaurants in Devon - from field kitchens to fine dining.

Moorland View guests have 15% off food and drink at Bovey Castle

Gidleigh Park, Chagford

With its Michelin-standard restaurant, this imposing Tudor style house, overlooking 107 acres of private woodlands in the wilds of Dartmoor National Park, has impeccable culinary credentials. Refined and formal, Gidleigh Park offers old-school charm and exceptionally high standards. Gidleigh’s kitchen has been unsettled since the 2015 departure of long-standing head chef Michael Caines who, in his 21 years of service, won the restaurant two Michelin stars. Since then two chefs have come and gone, taking with them Gidleigh’s coveted Michelin stars, but the food still wows, with a traditional, pared-down British menu that focuses on seasonal, locally sourced produce. Think Cornish turbot served with leeks, purple spouting broccoli and caviar hollandaise, and beef fillet with potato terrine and cauliflower purée. There’s a whopping wine list, with more than 9,000 choices which the charismatic sommelier has an encyclopaedic knowledge of.

Bovey Castle, North Bovey

The silver-service restaurant at Bovey Castle is uber-glam, and there’s a casual brasserie with a sunny terrace and stunning views. Our favourite spot for a cream tea is by the enormous log fire in the Cathedral Room lounge. The bar is a romantic spot for an evening cocktail.

Gidleigh Park

The Horse, Moretonhampstead

Heralded as a ‘genuine slice of foodie heaven’ by the Michelin guide, the Horse serves some of the best food in Devon, in contemporary pub setting. There's a pretty walled courtyard for dining al fresco on summer evenings. 

The Seahorse, Dartmouth

A smart restaurant in a lovely spot on the embankment; sit outside looking over the estuary or inside beside the glass-walled kitchen. Seafood-orientated menus at The Seahorse have a Mediterranean bias, with Josper-grilled whole fish and fresh pastas the favourites. Start with a cocktail in the lovely Joe's Bar.

Riverford Field Kitchen, Buckfastleigh

Food doesn’t get fresher or more local than at Riverford Field Kitchen, the organic farm that is home to the famous veg box scheme. Enormous bowls of hearty homespun fayre is served up on long tables in a wonderfully convivial atmosphere.

The Rockfish Grill, Dartmouth

Serving one of the best fish and chips in Devon, the Rock Fish Grill is a stylish beach shack-style takeaway and restaurant on Dartmouth’s harbour run by celebrity chef Mitch Tonks. The menu includes locally-landed scallops and oysters, along with classics such as jellied eels, cockles, cracked crab and potted shrimp. 

The Oyster Shack, Bigbury

Don’t be put off by the garish décor at this former oyster farm: the freshness of the oysters at The Oyster Shack is legendary. Handpicked from the River Avon less than half a mile away, the meaty molluscs are served with a huge selection of mouth-watering sauces. 

The Oyster Shack is legendary

The Elephant, Torquay

Torquay is more famous for bucket-and-spade summer fun than fine food, but one of Devon’s Michelin-starred restaurants is tucked away here: The Room in the Elephant. Overlooking the harbour, this gorgeous terraced Georgian house has a casual brasserie downstairs, with Michelin-starred Room upstairs. This is some of the prettiest food you’re likely to see anywhere, with dainty floral garnishes and unexpected flavours – the pop rock candy dessert for example, which fizzes in your mouth. Mains include roast pumpkin fondant, spiced Carrot Juice, cauliflower and pine nut pesto. 

RELATED ARTICLES

Must-See Dartmoor Attractions

Here’s our pick of Dartmoor’s best things to do, including fairytale castles, Stone Age hut circles, ancient forests - and a famous prison.

Widecombe in the Moor

1. Dartmoor Prison

The Mad Axeman, Frank Mitchell and the Acid Bath Murderer were all inmates at Dartmoor Prison, a grim, gothic jail in the mist-wreathed Dartmoor town of Princetown. Once a byword for the most violent offenders, the prison – now Category C – has a museum for the macabre-minded, featuring makeshift weapons and confiscated escape gear. Most shocking is a razor mounted on the tip of a toothbrush and vicious knuckle-dusters made of six-inch nails. Most amusing is the time-honoured classic of knotted bed sheets, once used in an escape attempt. Also on display are leather-belted tunics, which were used for restraint, and a fading photo of a "mad cupboard", in which deranged prisoners were locked and doused with freezing water. 

2. Castle Drogo

Castle Drogo

Lutyens-designed Castle Drogo is a quasi-mediaeval granite castle that was the last to be built in Britain. Inside is Drewe's remarkable collection of venerable artefacts, such as 17th-century tapestries. The views of the Teign Gorge and Dartmoor are magnificent, and there’s a stunning walk along Fingle Gorge from the grounds (see ‘Walk a Dartmoor Gorge’). It’s currently undergoing restoration – please check their website for latest progress. 

3. Chagford

This pretty stannary town is crammed with cafes, tea rooms, farm shops and delis. Check out Blacks for great light lunches and local farm produce, Moorland Dairy for delicious local ice-cream and Best Cellars for a small, but perfectly formed wine selection. The town has half-day closing on Wednesday afternoons. 

4. Grimspound

One of the most complete examples of the moor’s prehistoric settlements, Grimspound is a stone enclosure littered with the leavings of 24 Bronze Age hut circles.First settled about 1300 BC, thevillage’s stone perimeter wall is thought to have stood at 1.7 metres high in places. The roundhouses were made from double granite walls with a rubble infill - a technique still used in dry-stone walling.The eerie setting was the model for the prehistoric hut inwhich Sherlock Holmes spent the night in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Free, and open all year round.

5. Fingle Gorge

Fingle Gorge

Taking in a fairytale castle, oak-lined gorge, ancient stone bridge and traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the Teign River is classic Dartmoor. Hunter’s Path runs higher up the valley, while Fisherman’s Path traces the spectacular wooded riverbank path, where kingfishers and woodpeckers dart between shaded pools, and trout, salmon and otters frolic in deep, clear waters. The small rocky beaches are perfect places for picnics and toe-dipping. Look out for glimpses of Prestonbury Castle Iron Age hill fort on the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the gorge is the age-old Fingle bridge, which has recessed buttresses for packhorses to pass. Behind it is Fingle Bridge Inn, which serves a mean cream tea and has a pretty terrace overlooking the river. In spring, the woodlands here are carpeted with bluebells and daffodils.

6. Wistmans’ Wood

Wistman’s Wood is a vestige of the prehistoric dwarf oak trees that used to cover Dartmoor. Here, moss-covered, boulder-strewn woodland floor is dotted with stunted oaks furred with mosses and lichen. The easy one-hour walk starts from the Two Bridges Hotel, near Princetown. Stop in for a cream tea at Princehall for afters.

7. Haytor

Haytor is one of Devon’s most famous views: on a clear day you can see the coast, the Teign estuary, the moors and rolling countryside in between. The Rock Inn in Haytor Vale is a good option for food afterwards. 

Ashburton

8. Ashburton

Dubbed the gateway to the moor, Ashburton is an elegant town whose fortunes were founded on cloth and mining. It is one of Dartmoor’s four stannary towns, where tin was bought to be taxed – and its fine slate-hung frontages house a well-to-do selection of antique shops, delis, cafes and restaurants. Most notable of the latter is the Agaric Restaurant, the Fish Deli and Ashburton Deli. 

9. Brent Tor

The tiny parish church of The Church of St Michel de Rupe ("Saint Michael of the Rock"), sitting atop Brent Tor, is one of the cutest you’ll ever see, and the views are spectacular. Around the Tor are Iron Ageearthworks, the remnants of a hill fort. 

10. Tavistock

Tavistock is the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, and the UK's best market town according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England. What marks it out is its food. Country Cheeses showcases hundreds of the West Country's finest, and Crebers Delicatessen are both award winners. Check out the farmers’ market (01822 820360, www.tavistockfarmersmarket.com) which fills elegant Bedford Square on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. 

11. Lydford Gorge

The 90-foot White Lady waterfall at Lydford Gorge near Tavistock is a gushing torrent enclosed by a thickly wooded ravine. Look out for kingfishers and grey herons waiting patiently for fish and listen for the drumming of great spotted woodpeckers. 

12. The Granite Way

Skirting the edge of Dartmoor, this 11-mile traffic-free track running from Okehampton to Lydford gives views of Okehampton Castle, Meldon Viaduct, Meldon Lake, Exmoor, Bodmin Moor and, of course, Dartmoor. The Dartmoor Inn (see 39), a wonderful gastro pub, is perfectly sited at the end of the trail for a rewarding feast. 

13. Okehampton Castle

An impressive Norman stronghold laid waste by Henry VIII, and one of the largest castle ruins in the south west, Okehampton Castle ismentioned in the Doomsday Book. Ask about the haunted nightlife. Closed winter.

14. Widecombe in the Moor

With the church 'the Cathedral of the Moor' standing proud in any view, Widecombe (see photo above) has history galore and many folklore legends. Visit St. Pancras Church, with its wonderful stained glass windows, the lovely National Trust shop in the square and have lunch in the Rugglestone, a Grade-II inn with flagstone floors, open fires and Dartmoor and Butcombe Best Bitter poured straight from the barrel. The two restaurants - one of which has an open log fire– are more spacious,and outside, over a small bridge, is a large sheltered garden with picnic tables and fabulous views. 

15. Dartmoor Zoo

You’ll will find 70 mammal species alone at this hugely popular zoo near Plymouth, which runs research projects and a breeding programme for tapir, slender-tailed meerkats, common marmosets and wallabies. Visitors thrill to feeding time for the big cats – lions, tigers, jaguars and cheetah – and you can also spot brown bears, wolves, monkeys amongst the menagerie here. Round off your visit with a meal at the Jaguar Restaurant. 

16, Dartmeet

This is the scenic spot where the East and West Dart rivers meet; nearby is an ancient field system and an 18th century bridge. A shallow section of water makes for ideal summer paddling round the scattered rocks.

Things To Do On Our Doorstep

Only staying at Moorland View for a short break? Skip any extra driving! Here are the best places to visit just a 20-minute drive from Moorland View Cottage

Easdon Tor (photo: Will Lamerton)

PUBS, RESTAURANTS & CAFES

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Our village pub: the Ring of Bells

The Ring of Bells, North Bovey

Our 13th century thatched pub has been rebuilt after being ravaged by fire in 2016. Restored by specialist heritage builders, every nook and cranny is just as it was, with salvaged beams weaved in with new and medieval features uncovered during the rebuild reinstated. There’s a cosy wood-beamed bar where friendly villagers swap stories, as well two restaurants - one with a wood-burner and original bread oven. Outside is a terrace and pretty garden, where sheep-shearing competitions are battled out during the village’s eccentric summer fair. There are regular pub quizzes and music nights with local bands. 

The Horse, Moretonhampstead

Heralded as a ‘genuine slice of foodie heaven’ by the Michelin guide, The Horse is one of our best local restaurants. Brixham crab, lobster, scallops and wild Cornish sea bass are favourites, as is Moreton lamb, Devon Ruby beef and locally-reared rare-breed pork. The pizzas are the best we’ve ever tasted. It’s all served up in a lovely contemporary setting, with a pretty walled courtyard for dining al fresco on summer evenings. 

Bovey Castle, North Bovey

The silver-service Great Western restaurant at Bovey Castle is dazzlingly glamorous – think glittery flock wallpaper, chandeliers and swirly carpets. The food wows, too: estate venison, seat trout, duck – all beautifully presented, with well thought out accompaniments. For low-key dining, their casual brasserie has a sunny terrace and stunning views. Our favourite spot for a cream tea is by the enormous log fire in the Cathedral Room lounge, while the bar is a romantic spot for a romantic evening cocktail. You can sign up for a spa day for £30 per person, per day. The castle is a beautiful 15-minute through along the river from North Bovey, or a three-minute drive.

Gidleigh Park

Gidleigh Park, Chagford

Gidleigh Park is a grand Tudor-style country manor hotel, set in 107 acres of Dartmoor woodland outside Chagford. Creative menus are delivered with pin sharp accuracy, and there’s a 50-page wine list to choose from. Well worth the £100+ price tag. Work up an appetite with a walk around the grounds.

The Birdcage, Chagford

One of our local favourites, this cheery and stylish bird-themed cafe on Chagford’s main square serves delicious all-day brunches and healthy lunches in a cosy and friendly setting. The Birdcage’s brunch options include a full English, bacon and egg muffin and smoked salmon with poached egg and avocado salsa. Bag the table outside for a spot in the morning sun. Closed Wednesdays.

The Old Forge, Chagford

Set in central Chagford, the friendly Old Forge serves all day breakfasts (think French toast with streaky bacon) and delicious lunches.

WALKS

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Easdon Tor, North Bovey

For a heady shot of invigorating country air and instant perspective on your surroundings, take the 2.5-hour walk up Easdon Tor, the hill you see from the main bedroom window in the cottage. From the top you’ll see 360-degree views of Dartmoor and be kept company by wild Dartmoor ponies who come here to graze. There’s a takeaway route in the cottage.

Fingle Gorge

Fingle Gorge

Taking in a fairytale castle, oak-lined gorge, ancient stone bridge and traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the Teign River is classic Dartmoor. Hunter’s Path runs higher up the valley, while Fisherman’s Path traces the spectacular wooded riverbank path, where kingfishers and woodpeckers dart between shaded pools, and trout, salmon and otters frolic in deep, clear waters. The small rocky beaches are perfect places for picnics and toe-dipping. Look out for glimpses of Prestonbury Castle Iron Age hill fort on the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the gorge is the age-old Fingle bridge, which has recessed buttresses for packhorses to pass. Behind it is Fingle Bridge Inn, which serves a mean cream tea and has a pretty terrace overlooking the river. In spring, the woodlands here are carpeted with bluebells and daffodils. Park at Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton, or by the Mill End Hotel and walk from the other direction. 

North Bovey to Lustleigh Cleave

Everywhere you turn in the little village of Lustleigh you’re offered a postcard perfect view, from the ancient church to thatched cottages to the rolling hills of the surrounding Wrey Valley. You can walk there from the cottage if you’re feeling energetic, a hike of about an hour and a half. Afternoon tea at the Primrose tea rooms offers all the scones, cream and loose-leaf tea your heart could desire. From Lustleigh you can make a wonderful circular walk up into Lustleigh Cleave, a deep cleft of trees, tors and tumbled boulders. Reward yourself afterwards with a drink under the oak beams of the 15th-century Cleave Inn.

Hound Tor

The jumble of boulders that make up Hound Tor, on the road to Widecombe, provides one of the most easily accessible and expansive viewpoints in Dartmoor. The inspiration for Conan Doyle’s moorland classic, The Hound of the Baskervilles, the tor is a gentle, half-mile walk from the car park along grassy paths and dells. Look out for ‘letterboxes’ – Tupperware boxes hidden by grown-up treasure trailers – hidden between the crevices. At the top, you can see the rocky peaks of several other tors, as well as Widecombe-in-the-Moor and Bowerman's Nose. Just southeast of the tor, are the remains of a medieval village.

Grimspound

One of the most complete examples of the moor’s prehistoric settlements, Grimspound is a stone enclosure littered with 24 Bronze Age hut circles. First settled about 1300 BC, the village’s stone perimeter wall is thought to have stood at 1.7 metres high in places. The roundhouses were made from double granite walls with a rubble infill - a technique still used in dry-stone walling. The eerie setting was the model for the prehistoric hut inwhich Sherlock Holmes spent the night in The Hound of the Baskervilles. Free, and open all year round.

Haytor

Haytor is one of Devon’s most famous views: on a clear day you can see the coast, the Teign estuary, the moors and rolling countryside in between. The Rock Inn in Haytor Vale is a good option for food afterwards. 

Guided walk, North Bovey

Qualified Dartmoor guide and North Bovey resident, Debbie Jenkins, offers private hikes along old pack-horse tracks to ancient remains, stone circles, tin mines and tors. She’ll give you a history of Dartmoor as you go and point out hard-to-spot wildlife. Cost: £12 per hour (minimum two hours); £45 for a half-day, £80 a day. Details: 01647 440053. 

FOOD SHOPPING

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Chagford

The pretty stannary town of Chagford is crammed with cafes, tea rooms, farm shops and delis. Check out Blacks Deli for local produce, Jaded Palates for fantastic wines and West Country gins and Artisan for locally-made leather goods and crafts. The town has half-day closing on Wednesday afternoons.

Ullacombe Farm Shop, Haytor

Ullacombe Farm Shop, on the way to Haytor, sells plenty of locally made produce, from chilli chocolate to cheeses. There’s also a teashop selling superb farmhouse cakes. 

EXPERIENCES

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Bovey Castle spa and country club, North Bovey

Bovey Castle

It’s not actually a castle, but what Bovey Castle lacks in heritage, it makes up for with quantity of facilities and sweeping views. Set on a private sporting estate just up the river from North Bovey, this luxury hotel has an 18-hole championship golf course, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, fly-fishing lake, croquet lawn and archery arena. Huge stone fireplaces, soaring ceilings, ornate panelling, squishy sofas and terraces with epic views The 20-minute walk along the river, across old stone bridges and through woodlands, is beautiful.

Try artisanal Dartmoor skills, Moretonhampstead

The Dartmoor Artisan Trail is a new arts and craft trail that takes in the moor’s finest artisans, including blacksmiths, shoemakers and cider makers, and many of them work in our next village, Moretonhampstead. Watch them work, or have a go yourself on one of their mini courses. 

Hawking display, Bovey Castle

Stargazing on Hound Tor

Bovey Castle has a free hawking display every morning at 10am - well worth getting out of bed for. If you've always fancied yourself as a falconer, Dartmoor Hawking's Experience Day provides the chance to handle these powerful birds. Their Owl Experience is a tamer, hands-on introduction to birds of prey.

Swim in a stream-fed pool, Chagford

Just a ten-minute drive from North Bovey, Chagford Pool can't be far from heaven. Swallows nest in the changing rooms and dive-bomb the swimmers, and with the sound of the river Teign running past stepping stones, it's as relaxed as a swimming pool gets. It’s river fed, so is chilly. 

Stargaze, Hound Tor

With clear, dark nights, Dartmoor is a fantastic place to view the night sky, with the Milky Way often clearly visible.  Grab a picnic rug (there’s one in the cottage), torch, blanket and bottle of wine and head to the top of Hound Tor, one of the most atmospheric and easily accessible spots to stargaze.

ATTRACTIONS

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Becky Falls, Haytor

One of the most picturesque of the area’s waterfalls, Becky Falls are wide and gentle rather than tumultuous. There’s a woodland café, and a little zoo provides furry friend encounters with meerkats and goats.

Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton

Lutyens-designed Castle Drogo is a quasi-mediaeval granite castle that was the last to be built in Britain. Inside is Drewe's remarkable collection of venerable artefacts, such as 17th-century tapestries. The views of the Teign Gorge and Dartmoor are magnificent, and there’s a stunning walk along Fingle Gorge from the grounds. It’s currently undergoing restoration – please check their website for latest progress.  

Dartmoor's Top 10 Walks

TOP 10 WALKS IN DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK, DEVON

Ancient woodlands, leafy riversides and open moors littered with the leavings of Bronze Age man - here are the best 10 walks in Dartmoor National Park, Devon

1. Fingle Gorge

One of Dartmoor's most spectacular riverside walks, this two-hour round-trip follows a forested gorge from fairytale Castle Drogo to the traditional Fingle Bridge Inn, overlooking the river. In spring, the woodlands here are carpeted with bluebells and daffodils.

2. Wistmans’ Wood

A vestige of the prehistoric dwarf oak trees that used to cover Dartmoor, Wistman's Wood (pictured above) has occupied this lonely spot near Two Bridges for 6,000 years. The gnarly ancient oak trees rise from mossy boulders, and have branches festooned in ferns and lichen. The Two Bridges hotel is a traditional spot for a drink afterwards, but for a meal or a cream tea, or to avoid the coach parties, head to Princehall Hotel, a beautiful Georgian Manor House nearby with stunning views.

3. Easdon Tor

For a heady shot of invigorating country air and instant perspective on your surroundings, Easdon Tor, a rock-topped hill which is a 10-minute walk from Moorland View. At the top, there are 360-degree views of Dartmoor, wild horses and birds of prey.

Fingle Gorge

4. Grimspound

One of the most complete examples of the moor’s prehistoric settlements, Grimspound is a stone enclosure littered with the leavings of 24 Bronze Age roundhouses. The eerie setting inspired Sherlock Holmes' classic, the Hound of the Baskervilles.

5. North Bovey to Lustleigh

Strike out on this beautiful two-hour hike, taking in gorgeous views, a Roman fort and the magical woodland glen of Lustleigh Cleave, with its two-story high boulders. A thatched pub, The Cleave, awaits you at the end, with cream teas, delicious meals and real ales.

6. River Bovey

This flat, easy 20 minute walk from Moorland View to Bovey Castle traces the crystal-clear River Bovey, through wildflower woodlands and across stone bridges. Bovey Castle’s 250-acre estate has rose gardens, elegant lakes and well-kept lawns. 

Wiseman’s Wood

7. Hound Tor

The jumble of boulders that make up Hound Tor provides one of the most easily accessible and expansive viewpoints in Dartmoor. You'll see the rocky peaks of several other tors here and views of moorland villages, and just southeast of the tor are the remains of a medieval village.

8. Brent Tor

There are few places as romantic as the top of craggy Brent Tor, where the tiny parish church of The Church of St Michel de Rupe sits pretty and gives way to spectacular views. Surrounding the tor are Iron Age earthworks and the remnants of a hill fort.

Brent Tor

9. Lydford Gorge

Fern-fringed paths wind through the deepest gorge in the southwest, with sites along the way including the 30-metre Whitelady Waterfall and the swirling Devil’s Cauldron whirlpool. The caves and gullies of this wild place were a hangout for sheep-stealing bandits in the 17th century.

10. Lustleigh Cleave 

From the tiny village of Lustleigh you can make a wonderful circular walk (5 miles) past trees, tors and tumbled boulders through this deep cleft on the Sticklepath Fault. Reward yourself with a drink under the oak beams of the 15th-century Cleave Hotel. 

20 Ultimate Devon Holiday Ideas

Suzy Bennett, owner of Moorland View and author of several travel guides to Devon, reveals her 20 all-time best things to do and places to visit on a holiday in Devon.

Wistmans Wood, Dartmoor

1. Have a spa treatment in a castle

Guests of Moorland View have membership of Bovey Castle Hotel

Ok, so it’s not actually a castle, but what Bovey Castle lacks in heritage, it makes up for with quantity of facilities and sweeping views. Set on a private sporting estate just up the river from North Bovey, this luxury hotel has an 18-hole championship golf course, indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, fly-fishing lake, croquet lawn and archery arena. Huge stone fireplaces, soaring ceilings, ornate panelling, squishy sofas and terraces with epic views make it one of the grandest places on Dartmoor to whirl away a lazy afternoon. Spa days costs £30 per day per person. Book direct with the castle. The 20-minute walk along the river, across old stone bridges and through woodlands, is beautiful.

2. Walk along a Dartmoor gorge

Taking in a fairytale castle, oak-lined gorge, ancient stone bridge and traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the Teign River is classic Dartmoor. Hunter’s Path runs higher up the valley, while Fisherman’s Path traces the spectacular wooded riverbank path, where kingfishers and woodpeckers dart between shaded pools, and trout, salmon and otters frolic in deep, clear waters. The small rocky beaches are perfect places for picnics and toe-dipping. Look out for glimpses of Prestonbury Castle Iron Age hill fort on the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the gorge is the age-old Fingle bridge, which has recessed buttresses for packhorses to pass. Behind it is Fingle Bridge Inn, which serves a mean cream tea and has a pretty terrace overlooking the river. In spring, the woodlands here are carpeted with bluebells and daffodils. Park at Castle Drogo, Drewsteignton, or by the Mill End Hotel and walk from the other direction. 

3. Have a pint in a pub garden

Fingle Gorge

Our friendly village pub, the Ring of Bells, is a traditional thatched 13th century longhouse, complete with oak beams, wonky walls, log-burning stoves and a pub garden that’s one of the prettiest in Devon. The food is delicious, there's a great wine list and ales are poured straight from the barrel. The Cleave in nearby Lustleigh, is another great alternative. Inside, flagstone floors, wood-beamed walls and crackling log fires make it one of the cosiest places to hole up in winter. The food is hearty, delicious and generously portioned. You can walk there from North Bovey if you’re feeling energetic (it’s 2-3 hours).

4. Visit an ancient, dwarf-oak woodland

Wistman’s Wood is a vestige of the prehistoric dwarf oak trees that used to cover Dartmoor. Here, moss-covered, boulder-strewn woodland floor is dotted with stunted oaks furred with mosses and lichen. The easy one-hour walk starts from the Two Bridges Hotel, near Princetown. Stop in for a cream tea at Princehall for afters

5. Go antiquing, Ashburton

Dubbed the gateway to the moor, Ashburton is an elegant town whose fortunes were founded on cloth and mining. It is one of Dartmoor’s four stannary towns, where tin was bought to be taxed – and its fine slate-hung frontages house a well-to-do selection of antique shops, delis, cafes and restaurants. It’s where we purchased a lot of antiques for the cottage. Our favourite antiques shop is Alchemy Antiques, on East Street.

6. Eat fish and chips on the beach

The Beach House is beachfront clapboard shack sitting right on the beach and the South West Coastal path, making it a perfect pit stop for a hike. Dining is on rustic communal wooden tables, or outside on the terrace overlooking the sea. Stunning
South Milton Sands, Thurlestone

7. Take a road trip across Dartmoor

There’s no more romantic way to blow away the cobwebs than with a drive across the high moor. The circuit to Widecombe, Buckland and around to Ashburton takes in 14th century churches, clusters of granite and thatched cottages, gurgling brooks and ancient bridges.

8. Eat organic farm produce in a field kitchen

Food doesn’t get fresher or more local than at Riverford Field Kitchen, the organic farm that is home to the famous veg box scheme. Enormous bowls of hearty homespun fayre is served up on long tables in a wonderfully convivial atmosphere.

9. Have a fish lunch on a river

Our most romantic alternative-eats destination, at least on a sunny day, is the new River Exe Café a floating shed-cum-pontoon moored off Exmouth. Serving seafood dropped off by passing fishing boats, the sea-to-plate interval can be as little as five minutes. Get there on the new Topsham to Exmouth cycle path, then catch a water taxi to the café. Closed winter. Booking essential. 

10. Indulge in a traditional Devonshire cream tea

Our favourite Devon cream tea is at The Endsleigh, where supersized offerings are served in the sublime setting of an Elizabethan mansion house. Just-baked scones are served up with help-yourself quenelles of thick, clotted cream and gloopy strawberry jam, alongside fragrant loose-leaf tea in bone china cups. The wood-panelled drawing room has log fires and views of the Tamar Valley. Work up an appetite beforehand with a stroll around the stunning Grade-I listed gardens.

11. Go shopping in Totnes

Totnes is a place where the independent spirit is cherished – they even have their own currency, the Totnes pound. This is the place to shop for wholefoods, eco, ethical and organic stores. Me and East, Busby and Fox and Nkuku (in nearby Harberton) sell gorgeous homewares, Aromatika sells organic and natural skincare products made in Devon, the Wild Fig Deli specialises in gluten-free and vegetarian food and The Curator is our favourite cafe. Drift Records stock new music, with a policy that ranges from left field minimal tech house to home-recorded roots music from the Appalachian Mountains. Check out our guide to Totnes for more information.

12. Feel the sand between your toes

Hope Cove, South Devon

It’s hard to choose from the array of beach beauties that surround the yachtie town of Salcombe, but South Sands, a quick ferry ride or short walk from town, tops our list for being sheltered, seaweed-free and sun-kissed most of the day. It’s small – and smaller still at low tide – but has soft sand, safe, shallow swimming, blue seas and several excellent eating options, including South Sands Hotel and, at North Sands, rustic beach café the Winking Prawn. A quick ferry ride across the other side of the estuary takes you to Mill Bay and Sunny Cove, where there’s room to spread out. Salcombe itself is a gem of a town - check out our Salcombe guide for things to do. Another favourite beach is Blackpool sands, a mile-long, privately owned crescent can’t be far from heaven. Safe, sheltered swimming, a floating dock, lifeguards in summer, clean seas, shops selling beach essentials and the wonderful Venus Beach Café, which serves carefully sourced, locally-produced food, makes it one of Devon’s best beaches in summer. Although the name may be slightly misleading – the beach is actually made up of shingle – the claim that it’s ‘South Devon’s most picturesque beach’ certainly stands true.

13. Walk the South West Coastal Path

Britain’s longest footpath traces the north and south coasts of Devon, offering easy access to wild and windswept cliffs, secluded sandy coves and tiny hamlets. The three-hour walk from Bolt Tail, near Hope Cove, to Bolt Head, near Salcombe, is our favourite, offering perfect beaches and jagged headlands. For a longer walk, start further up the coast at Bantham, and stop off at The Beach House (www.beachhousedevon.com) at South Milton Sands for lunch en route.  Start Point is another popular coastal walk, with a characterful pub, the Pig’s Nose, at one end (see below).

14. Drink in an old pirate’s island haunt

The Pilchard Inn is a creaky, weather-beaten smugglers inn dating from 1336 oozing with swashbuckling history: ask about the pirates’ escape tunnel. Getting there is all part of the fun. Perched on the tiny, tidal outcrop of Burgh Island, surrounded by sandy beaches and choppy seas, it’s cut off from the mainland twice a day so you’ll need to consult a tide table when planning your visit. When the seas have parted, it’s a short walk across the spit. When the waters start coming in, a high-sided ‘sea tractor’ ferries passengers.

15. Stock up on local produce in Chagford

The pretty stannary town of Chagford is crammed with cafes, tea rooms, farm shops and delis. Check out Blacks Deli for local produce, Jaded Palates for fantastic wines and West Country gins and Artisan for locally-made leather goods and crafts. The town has half-day closing on Wednesday afternoons.

Dartmouth

16. Visit Dartmouth

Undeniably pretty, this naval town on Devon's south coast is a gem, with ancient narrow streets, boutique shops, art galleries and delicatessens. A cobbled market place has colourful stalls and farmers markets supplying local produce. The county town of Dartmouth sits pretty on the River Dart estuary, and features a medieval castle, a museum housed in a 1640s merchant home, and a National Trust property – Agatha Christie’s home and walled garden Greenway. There’s no shortage of things to do in Dartmouth, including browsing its galleries, shopping in the one-off boutiques and eating at the acclaimed Seahorse restaurant on the waterfront.

17. Dine in a Michelin-standard restaurant

Gidleigh Park

With its Michelin-standard restaurant, this imposing Tudor style house, overlooking 107 acres of private woodlands, has impeccable culinary credentials. Refined and formal, Gidleigh Park offers old-school charm and tip-top service. Gidleigh’s kitchen has been unsettled since the 2015 departure of long-standing head chef Michael Caines who, in his 21 years of service, won the restaurant two Michelin stars. Since then two chefs have come and gone, taking with them Gidleigh’s coveted Michelin stars, but the food is still excellent - a traditional, pared-down British menu that focuses on seasonal, locally sourced produce. Think Cornish turbot served with leeks, purple spouting broccoli and caviar hollandaise, and beef fillet with potato terrine and cauliflower purée. There’s a whopping wine list, with more than 9,000 choices which the charismatic sommelier has an encyclopaedic knowledge of.

Stargazing on Hound Tor

18. Go stargazing

With clear, dark nights, Dartmoor is a fantastic place to view the night sky, with the Milky Way often clearly visible.  Grab a picnic rug (there’s one in the cottage), torch, blanket and bottle of wine and head to the top of Hound Tor, one of the most atmospheric and easily accessible spots to stargaze.

19. Have brunch at The Birdcage

One of our local favourites, this cheery and stylish bird-themed cafe on Chagford’s main square serves delicious all-day brunches in a cosy and friendly setting. The Birdcage’s options include a full English, bacon and egg muffin and smoked salmon with poached egg and avocado salsa. Bag the table outside for a spot in the morning sun. Closed Wednesdays.

20. Stay in a chocolate-box thatched cottage

Moorland View is one of Devon’s prettiest thatched holiday cottages, and has everything you want in a cosy cottage: a log fire, huge bath, epic views and wall-to-wall luxury.

Devon's Best Swimming Spots

Bovey Castle

If you’d rather not expose yourself to the elements, Bovey Castle has a beautiful Art Deco indoor pool with far-reaching views of the estate and Dartmoor beyond. In summer, there are sun loungers on the sunny terrace.

Moretonhampstead Swimming Pool

Don’t be put off by its location behind the town’s car park. Behind the walls of Moreton Pool is a peaceful 25m, community-run outdoor pool that’s the perfect place for cooling off on summer days. Heated by air source heat pumps and solar power, you can swim comfortably even when the sun is hiding behind the clouds. There’s a small grassy area for sunbathing. Leave before 3pm on sunny days if you want to avoid hordes of schoolchildren.

Chagford Swimming Pool

Just a ten-minute drive from North Bovey, Chagford Pool can't be far from heaven. Swallows nest in the changing rooms and dive-bomb the swimmers, and with the sound of the river Teign running past stepping stones, it's as relaxed as a swimming pool gets. Its river fed and heated with air source heat pumps that are supplemented by solar panels, so is a balmy 26c.

The Dart at Spitchwick

The leafy setting, the clean water (that brown colour is healthy peat) and the sheer fun of Spitchwick justifies its popularity. There’s a gorgeous swimming and picnic spot with a high corner pool, a deep, tranquil lower corner pool for serious swimmers; and a cliff for daredevil jumpers. It can get busy on a hot day as families gather to picnic on the common, and parking can be a problem - get there early for a space, or walk the half-mile from the car park at New Bridge. Peaty water, clean from the mountain, this is the most popular and accessible Dart swimming location, especially in summer. Also known as Deeper Marsh, it has been a bathing place for generations. Grassy flats lead to rocky river shore, deeper on far side with high cliff behind.

Salmon Leap, Fingle Gorge

This deep pool in Fingle Gorge is bliss in summer. The Teign cascades into three Victorian square stone plunge pools, each about 1m deep and smooth-lined, so great for a pummelling massage! Park by the humpback bridge just after Mill End hotel and walk up to the Iron Bridge, where there’s a beach area and rocks for picnicking on.

Blackpool Sands

You’re spoilt for choice for places to swim on Devon’s south coast, but our favourite is Blackpool Sands for its beautiful position, fantastic beach cafe, safe currents and summer-round lifeguards.

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Summer Holiday Ideas For Devon

50 Best Things to Do on a Summer Holiday in Devon

Climb a Dartmoor tor, North Bovey

For a heady shot of invigorating country air and instant perspective on your surroundings, take the two to three-hour walk up Easdon Tor, the hill you see from the main bedroom window in the cottage. From the top you’ll see 360-degree views of Dartmoor and be kept company by wild Dartmoor ponies who come here to graze. Details on how to walk from the cottage are in the back of this folder. 

Take to the skies

Take a hot air balloon flight over beautiful Dartmoor, or down to the south coast with local company Aerosauraus. A group ride from either Ivybridge or Exeter (both half an hour's drive away) costs £125 per person, and has a maximum of 16 other passengers. Flights are twice daily. 

Visit Salcombe

Undeniably pretty, the pastel coloured houses, steep streets and sandy coves of this boating town attract ‘up country’ yachtie visitors in their hundreds in the summer.  

Boat up the River Dart

Salcombe

Winding its way from Dartmoor to the port of Dartmouth on the South Devon coast, the Dart is grown-up’s playground in the summer, with yachts and pleasure boats plying between beaches, historic sites, villages and vineyards. Take a trip on one of the boats, or  on the UK’s last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer, returning home after 47 years. For a picnic with a difference, hire a private boat up the Dart. You can stop off in little bays to go crabbing, or take a vineyard tour at Sharpham. There’s cover in case of bad weather. 

Rent a thatched holiday cottage

There’s nowhere more romantic to stay during an English summer than a thatched holiday cottage. Moorland View Cottage, in the 13th century Dartmoor village of North Bovey, is perfect for summer breaks. The cottage has a beautiful walled garden ringed with honeysuckle and clematis and filled with the blooms of Old English roses. The village has a wonderful pub with a sunny pub garden, and with 385 square miles of wilderness on the doorstep, it’s easy to find a spot for yourselves, even in the height of summer.

BOOK A SUMMER BREAK TO DEVON

Rent a postcard-pretty thatched Devon holiday cottage this summer, with prices starting at £160 per night.

BOOK ACCOMMODATION

Have lunch at the River Exe café

Our favourite alternative-eats venue, at least on a sunny day, is the new River Exe Café a floating shed-cum-pontoon moored off Exmouth. Serving seafood dropped off by passing fishing boats, the sea-to-plate interval can be as little as five minutes. Get there on the new Topsham to Exmouth cycle path, then catch a water taxi to the café. Closed winter. Booking essential. 

Try stand-up paddle surfing

Try stand-up paddle surfing down the river Avon from Aveton Gifford all the way to the river mouth at Bigbury - about three miles. It's a great way to see scenery and wildlife - herons, ducks and kingfisher upstream, waders, gulls and oystercatchers. There's a walking route if you don't fancy getting wet.

Enjoy a waterside tipple

A waterside pub makes summer complete, and we defy you not to fall in love with the 17th-century Waterman’s Arms, overlooking tinkling Bow Creek, near Tuckenhay. Hidden away at the bottom of a steep valley, the streamside tables are perfect for savouring a pint of the fine Palmer’s Copper Ale. The lunches, sourced from local suppliers and served under an outdoor awning, attract foodies from as far away as Exeter and Plymouth. Another enticing option is the Maltsters Arms(01803 732350; tuckenhay.com) in Tuckenhay. On the River Dart, it has its own jetty and is big on open fires in winter and guest beers all year round. 

Take a tour of a vineyard, Totnes

Award-winning Sharpham vineyard offers regular tours. The views of River Dart and Capability Brown-designed hillsides are spectacular. Book ahead. 

Go sea kayaking, Dartmouth

Sea kayak outfit Sea Kayak Devon run trips to otherwise-inaccessible coves and caves along the south coast. Watch out for seals trying to hitch a lift!

Eat crispy squid at The Beach House, Thurlestone

Eleanor Cove

This weather-beaten clapboard shack overlooking the dramatic sea arch of Thurlestone is right on the beach, making it a perfect pit stop for a coastal walk. Crab cakes, crispy squid and bacon sandwiches are served up on rustic wooden tables in an amiable atmosphere. Check ahead for opening times.

Hang ten

Discovery Surf School offer lessons for beginners through to advanced surfers from their base in Bigbury-On-Sea all year round. A two-hour beginner lesson is £38. 

Bask on the beach

It’s hard to choose from the array of beauties on the south coast, but Mill Bay, a quick ferry ride across the water from Salcombe, tops our list for being seaweed-free and warmed by the sun all day. In the summer, it gets busy, so take an Ordnance Survey map to walk to quieter coves further up the coast, or hire a tender boat from town. Further west along the coast, at Bantham beach, wetsuits outnumber bikinis on south Devon’s only surf beach. Look out for stand-up paddle surfers, a quirky new take on the sport. Lannacombe Sands is a local secret. This small, sandy horseshoe cove near Kingsbridge, is at the end of a long dirt track and only has space for six cars, so get there before 10am and you’ll be assured a spot, even in the height of summer. North east along the coast from Salcombe, nestled below wooded cliffs, is Blackpool Sands, a mile-long, privately owned sweep of shingle. By day, swimmers can practise their dives from a floating dock; at sunset, the café serves beach BBQs. Beware, it attracts families in their droves during the school holidays. For a beach with history, Slapton Sands is the place to go. More than 600 US servicemen were killed on this three-mile stretch of shingle when German E-boats attacked their D-day rehearsals. A Sherman tank on the sand commemorates them. 

Have a romantic tête-à-tête in Grade-1 listed gardens

Built in 1812 as the holiday home for the Duchess of Bedford, Georgiana Russell, this is a wildly romantic verdantly-gardened Eden between Dartmoor and Exmoor.Wander around hotel’s romantic Grade-1 listed gardens, with shell houses, grottos and hidden glades for a romantic tête-à-tête. 

Swim in The Dart at Spitchwick

The leafy setting, the clean water (that brown colour is healthy peat) and the sheer fun of Spitchwick justifies its popularity. There’s a gorgeous swimming and picnic spot with a high corner pool, a deep, tranquil lower corner pool for serious swimmers; and a cliff for daredevil jumpers. It can get busy on a hot day as families gather to picnic on the common, and parking can be a problem - get there early for a space, or walk the half-mile from the car park at New Bridge. 

Go canoeing or kayaking, Ashburton

The River Dart is the most popular canoeing destination in the national park and the white water is considered by many canoeing enthusiasts to be amongst the best mid-grade runs in the west.  The River Dart Country Park runs guided excursions. 

Eat in a field kitchen 

Food doesn’t get fresher or more local than at Riverford Field Kitchen, the organic farm that is home to the famous veg box scheme. Enormous bowls of hearty homespun fayre is served up on long tables in a wonderfully convivial atmosphere. Booking is essential. 

Hot air ballooning over Dartmoor

Fish for your supper

Dartmoor is renowned for its sparkling clean rivers teeming wild brown trout, sea trout and salmon. If you have a licence, stretches of the East and West Dart Rivers may be fished on the purchase of a Duchy of Cornwall permit, available at the post office at Postbridge. Fingle Bridge is another beautiful spot; the Fingle Bridge Inn sells daily permits (01647 281287; finglebridgeinn.com). Dartmoor also hosts stunning lakes and reservoirs surrounded by towering tors. Information is available from the South West Lakes Trust on 01837 871565. www.swlakestrust.org.uk. Bovey Castle runs private fishing lessons.

Swim in a stream-fed pool, Chagford

Just a ten-minute drive from North Bovey, this pool can't be far from heaven. Swallows nest in the changing rooms and dive-bomb the swimmers, and with the sound of the river Teign running past stepping stones, it's as relaxed as a swimming pool gets.It’s river fed, so is chilly. 

Go butterfly spotting

A two-mile stretch of woodland that runs along the River Teign from Clifford Bridge to Steps Bridge, Dunsford Nature Reserve has 20 species of butterfly including the rare pearl-bordered, high-brown and silver-washed fritillaries. Look out for woodland birds, as well as wagtails and dippers and the occasional kingfisher. The river walk is also wonderful for spring flowers.

Horse ride across the moor

Shilstone Rocks Stables, in Widecombe in the Moor, is the most safety conscious stable around, and offers hacks in small groups tailored to experience. Also very good, and slightly cheaper, is Babeny stables, who do two-hour hacks for £30. 

Walk the South West Coastal Path

Star gazing Hound Tor

Britain’s longest footpath traces the north and south coasts of Devon, offering easy access to wild and windswept cliffs, secluded sandy coves and tiny hamlets. The three-hour walk from Bolt Tail, near Hope Cove, to Bolt Head, near Salcombe, is the wildest and most romantic stretch, offering perfect beaches and jagged headlands. For a longer winter walk, start further up the coast at Bantham, and stop off fora delicious fish lunch at The Beach House, a wonderfully romantic clapboard restaurant directly on the beach at South Milton Sands. > Devon’s best walks

Take a road trip

There’s no better way to blow away the cobwebs than with a drive across the high moor. The circuit to Widecombe, Buckland and around to Ashburton takes in 14thcentury churches, clusters of granite and thatched cottages, gurgling brooks and ancient bridges. 

Walk a Dartmoor gorge

Taking in a fairytale castle, oak-lined gorge, ancient stone bridge and traditional pub, this two-hour walk along the Teign River is classic Dartmoor. Hunter’s Path runs higher up the valley, while Fisherman’s Path traces the spectacular wooded riverbank path, where kingfishers and woodpeckers dart between shaded pools, and trout, salmon and otters frolic in deep, clear waters. The small rocky beaches are perfect places for picnics and toe-dipping. Look out for glimpses of Prestonbury Castle Iron Age hill fort on the other side of the valley. At the bottom of the gorge is the age-old Fingle bridge, which has recessed buttresses for packhorses to pass. Behind it is Fingle Bridge Inn, which serves a mean cream tea and has a pretty terrace overlooking the river.

Eat fish and chips by the sea

The Beach House, on Thurlestone Sands, is weather-beaten clapboard shack overlooking the dramatic sea arch of Thurlestone is right on the beach, making it a perfect destination for a wintery Devon coastal walk. Crab cakes, crispy squid and bacon sandwiches are served up on rustic wooden tables in an amiable atmosphere. Over on Dartmouth harbour, the Rockfish Grill, run by celebrity chef Mitch Tonks, serves some of the best fish and chips in Devon. The menu includes locally-landed scallops and oysters, along with classics such as jellied eels, cockles, cracked crab and potted shrimp. > More fantastic Devon restaurant and cafes

Have a pint on a private island

The Pilchard Inn is a creaky, weather-beaten smugglers inn dating from 1336 oozing with swashbuckling history: ask about the pirates’ escape tunnel. Getting there is all part of the fun and makes an adventurous winter attraction. Perched on the tiny, tidal outcrop of Burgh Island, surrounded by sandy beaches and choppy seas, it’s cut off from the mainland twice a day, making it the ultimate romantic Devon place to visit. When the seas have parted, it’s a short walk across the spit. When the waters start coming in, a high-sided ‘sea tractor’ ferries passengers. > Best Devon pubs

Go stargazing

With clear, dark nights, Dartmoor is a fantastic place to view the night sky, with the Milky Way often clearly visible, especially in winter. Grab some cosy knits, a blanket, torch, picnic rug and bottle of wine and head to the top of Hound Tor, one of the most atmospheric and easily accessible spots to view the night sky.

Devon's Best Cafes

Beach shacks, vineyard cafes and cafes on floating pontoons - our exclusive guide highlights Devon’s best tried-and-tested cafes.

Folklore, Chagford

East London meets Chagford. Exquisite salads.

The Birdcage, Chagford

The pretty little Bird Cage cafe on Chagford’s main square serves delicious lunches, as well as great breakfasts using fresh, local ingredients.

River Exe Cafe, Exmouth

Our favourite alternative-eats venue for a sunny day, this floating shed-cum-pontoon is moored off Exmouth, and reached by water taxi. Serving seafood dropped off by passing fishing boats, the sea-to-plate interval at the River Exe Cafe can be as little as five minutes

The Beach House, South Milton Sands

The Beach House is beachfront clapboard shack sitting right on the beach and the South West Coastal path, making it a perfect pit stop for a hike. Dining is on rustic communal wooden tables, or outside on the terrace overlooking the sea

Winking Prawn, Salcombe

With a salty location on the North Sands, the Winking Prawn beach café and BBQ is the perfect stop for a sunny lunch, ice cream or cream tea. Cracked crab, lobster and sea bream fillets are amongst the main course attractions.

The Rockfish Grill, Dartmouth

Serving one of the best fish and chips in Devon, the Rock Fish Grill is a stylish beach shack-style takeaway and restaurant on Dartmouth’s harbour run by celebrity chef Mitch Tonks. The menu includes locally-landed scallops and oysters, along with classics such as jellied eels, cockles, cracked crab and potted shrimp.

The Almond Thief, Dartington

The sourdough bread at craft bakery The Almond Thief is legendary, but they’ve also just branched out into a cafe business, serving a cracking artisan breakfast. The menu changes weekly, but look out for Bob’s dynamic poached eggs from neighbouring Huxham’s Cross Farm, served on sourdough with Rust Pig 24-month cured ham and asparagus. Wash it down with a cup of Crankhouse coffee.

The Cellar Door, Totnes

The views of River Dart and Capability Brown-designed hillsides are worth the trip to Sharpham alone, but their vineyard tours, on which you get to taste their delicious sparkling and white wines, as well as their cheeses, are the clincher. Their Cellar Door cafe makes a scenic spot for lunch. Closed winter. Book ahead.

Mangetout, Totnes

There’s breakfast, and then there is breakfast from Mangetout. Take up a seat out the front to watch Totnes wander by, take over the small interior, or better yet, find a seat in shaded courtyard out back. Their smoothies are incredible, as is the smashed avocado on sourdough, with a poached egg on top and a side of bacon.

The Hairy Barista

Aeropress, cold-brew, V60, flat white or just plain-old espresso, the aptly named Hairy Barista (aka Roe Yekutiel) will oblige – his little shop has become the town's go-to place for speciality coffee. There are cakes and pastries on offer too, but the space is a little cramped inside (and mind the step on the way in!).

The Curator, Totnes

In a clean and bright first-floor space, Ancona-born Matteo Lamaro creates seasonal Italian dishes in the Curator Kitchen, a modern osteria he launched last year. Amid decor that’s part rustic Italian and part pared-down Scandi (large windows, painted floorboards and menus handwritten on brown paper) Lamaro serves fortnightly-rotating menus that are heavy on produce from the Totnes area, as well as Matteo’s home in Le Marche, where he has built up a network of artisan producers – his ‘Italian Food Heroes’. Typical dishes include slow-cooked lamb ragu with orange zest served on freshly-rolled fettucini; red mullet and agrodolce lentils jewelled with soaked raisins, toasted spelt and oven-roasted tomatoes; and warming Italian panettone bread and butter pudding with orange caramel sauce and vanilla gelato. The wine list is pretty special too: Matteo is the only business in the UK to serve Col di Corte wines from Le Marche, including refreshing Verdicchio Superiore and Verdicchio Clasico.

The Fish Shed, Topsham

Is the Fish Shed Britain's best chippy? Quite possibly. It is certainly worth a detour from wherever you are in Devon. Much less the 15-minute walk from the centre of Topsham. Originally inspired by the combined chip shop/fishmonger operations which he had seen in Australia, owner Dave Kerley has taken this traditional British institution, stripped out all the rubbish (burgers, kebabs, vegetable oil, bulk-frying), worked back to the basics and built a chippy fit for the 21st century. A one-time scallop diver, Kerley only sources fish from local day-boats. This means that he knows who caught what and where, and that his customers get to eat their fish within 36 hours of it being plucked from the sea. Likewise, the Shed's well-seasoned beer batter is prepared daily and it fries in high-temperature beef dripping, although you can also have your fish grilled. The menu usually includes a wide choice of, for instance, monkfish, brill, eel, John Dory, scallops, even lobster and river Exe mussels. Thus, a series of small decisions and conscientiously completed chores leads inexorably to the perfect serving of fish 'n' chips. The golden brown chips have a crunchy, glassy exterior, yet are fluffy within. The pearly haddock is steamed (not fried, you'll note) within a delicate batter casing, its flavour not overwhelmed, as it sometimes is in Yorkshire, by beefy savour. Mushy peas and tartare sauce sparkle. Rarely is such simple food rendered with such precision.

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Devon's Best Activities

Clear away with cobwebs with our pick of the best things to do in Dartmoor and South Devon, including horse-riding, electric biking, clay-pigeon shooting and learning artisan skills from master craftsmen.  

Horse-riding

Shilstone Rocks Stables in Widecombe in the Moor is one of the most safety conscious stables around, and offers hacks in small groups tailored to experience. Also very good, and slightly cheaper, is Babeny Stables. Liberty Trails do weekend tours across Dartmoor. 

Fishing

Dartmoor is renowned for its sparkling clean rivers teeming wild brown trout, sea trout and salmon. Bovey Castle runs private fishing lessons. If you have a licence, stretches of the East and West Dart Rivers can be fished on the purchase of a Duchy of Cornwall permit, available at Postbridge Post Office. Fingle Bridge Inn sells daily permits. Information on lake fishing is available from the South West Lakes Trust. 

The Dartmoor Artisan Trail

This self-guided trail, founded by Suzy Bennett, Moorland View's owner, links the moor's finest artisans and gives visitors the chance to try out traditional Dartmoor skills. 

Cycling

Dartmoor Bike Hire, in Moretonhampstead, our next village, hire out hybrid, mountain, tandem and electric bikes, with prices starting at £18 per day. Dartmoor Electric Bikes also hire out electric bikes by the day and offer guided tours. 

Clay Pigeon Shooting

There are several clay pigeon outfits on Dartmoor, with the nearest ones at Bovey Castle and Devon Clay Shooting. 

Wild Swimming

Spitchwick is the place for this, with a leafy setting and clean water (that brown colour is healthy peat). There’s a gorgeous swimming and picnic spot with a high corner pool, a deep, tranquil lower corner pool for serious swimmers; and a cliff for daredevil jumpers. 

Hawking

Bovey Castle has an impressive free hawking display every morning at 10am. If you've always fancied yourself as a falconer, Dartmoor Hawking's Experience Day provides the chance to handle these powerful birds.

Llama walking

Perhaps the most unlikely of Dartmoor’s possible experiences, llama walking offers the opportunity to hike with a woolly companion (the animals are famed for their calm nature) who will also carry your lunch. There’s also the option of a llama-portered high tea which you can enjoy amongst the tors.

Watersports

River Dart Country Park  organize Adventure Days when visitors can experience caving, rock climbing, canoeing and much more. Salmon and sea trout fishing is another option. 

Canoeing and Kayaking

The River Dart is the most popular canoeing destination in the national park - River Dart Country Park runs guided excursions. Sea Kayak Devon run trips to otherwise-inaccessible coves and caves along the south coast.

Surfing

Discovery Surf School offer lessons for beginners through to advanced surfers from their base in Bigbury-On-Sea all year round. 

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Devon's Most Beautiful Beaches

Fringed with sugar-white sandy beaches on both coasts, you’re spoilt for choice for a place to lay your towel in Devon. We round up Devon’s best beaches.

We reveal our favourite secret beaches and hidden coves to our guests when they book!

🏆 South Milton/Thurlestone Sands

Combining a stunning sandy beach, dramatic sea arch and a gorgeous little beach shack serving some of the best fish on the south coast, South Milton Sands, near Salcombe is nothing short of heaven. Set right on the South West Coastal Path, it’s the perfect pitstop for a long coastal walk. Dining is on rustic communal wooden tables, or outside on the terrace overlooking the sea. Park in the National Trust carpark.

🏆 Blackpool Sands

Backed by wooded cliffs, this mile-long, privately owned sweep of shingle has one of the most dramatic settings in Devon, with Instagrammable views from the lay-by on the road at the top of the hill. There’s a wonderful beach cafe serving organic, local produce. By day, swimmers can practise their dives from a floating dock, and the beach café stays open beyond sunset. Avoid in the school holidays.

Bantham Beach

Wetsuits outnumber bikinis on south Devon’s only surf beach. Look out for stand-up paddle surfers, a quirky new take on the sport.

Woolacombe

Blackpool Sands, South Devon

Slapton Sands

More than 600 US servicemen were killed on this three-mile stretch of shingle when German E-boats attacked their D-day rehearsals. A Sherman tank on the sand commemorates them.

Tunnels Beaches, Ilfracombe

Accessed via hand-cut tunnels, this Victorian rock pool is a tranquil swimming spot on the otherwise choppy north coast.

Croyde Bay

Devon’s most famous surf destination and a lively beach-volleyball spot, by pretty Croyde village, attracts youngsters in their thousands each summer.

Braunton Burrows

A Unesco Biosphere Reserve, this beach has 1,500 acres of dunes to play, hide or snooze in.

Woolacombe

An epic, three-mile swathe of sand, which has oodles of space for surfers, swimmers and sunbathers – as well as a Blue Flag.

Best Guided Tours

Horse-riding, walking tours, wildlife tours and vineyard tours - here are our favourite guided tours in Dartmoor and South Devon. 

Hound of the Baskervilles Tour

This one-day tour follows in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles, which is based on Dartmoor. Locations include tranquil village graveyards, churches with black magic associations, Bronze Age villages and moorland mires. Visit Unique Devon Tours..

Dartmoor Walking Tour

Qualified Moorland Guide and North Bovey resident Debbie Jenkins offers private hikes along old pack-horse tracks to ancient remains, stone circles, tin mines and tors. She’ll give you a history of Dartmoor and point out hard-to-spot wildlife. Call her on 01647 440053, or visit Moorland Guides.

Dartmoor Pub Tour

Discover hidden Dartmoor pubs with moorland native Tich Scott, who is an award-winning local dialect speaker. This leisurely tour takes in some of Dartmoor's best pubs, sampling locally brewed ales and ciders as you go. Tich also hosts bespoke tours. Visit Proper Dartmoor Tours for information.

Wildlife Tour

Butterfly walks, fungi forays, bird-watching and dusk walks  - Dartmoor Nature Tours offer private and group tours for bespoke interests. 

Dartmoor Scenic Tour

These one-day tours take in Dartmoor's highlights, including Haytor, Hound Tor, Grimspound, Fernworthy Stone Circle, Buckfast Abbey, Buckland-in-the-Moor, Widecombe in the Moor, Princetown and Dartmoor Prison. Tailor-made tours are also available. Visit Dartmoor Scenic Tours.

Hot Air Balloon Flight

Charter your own hot air balloon flight over beautiful Dartmoor with local company Aerosauraus. Flights take place at dawn and dusk so you can watching the sun rise or set from 3000ft, with 360-degree uninterrupted views - and a glass of chilled champagne. 

Electric Bike Tour

If you're put off cycling on Dartmoor by having to navigate country lanes and hills, Dartmoor Electric Bikes offer a range of half-day guided tours. 

 Stargazing Tour

This astronomical adventure, run by local tour guide Dartmoor's Daughter, points out, through specially set up telescopes, the visible constellations on the moor, tstar clusters, nebula and galaxies. Other tours include exploring stone circle and beginners' navigation.

Vineyard Tour

This Vine to Wine tour at Sharpham Vineyard on the banks of the River Dart, guides you through through the vineyard and winery and gives you a taste of their wines and award-winning cheeses along the way.

Dartmouth Paddle Steamer

This nostalgic cruise on the UK’s last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer, takes you up the Dart River, past Dartmouth and Kingswear Castles, Britannia Royal Naval College, Noss boat yard, the quaint village of Dittisham and the Greenway Estate, former home of the late Dame Agatha Christie. 

Sea Kayak Tour

Sea kayak outfit Sea Kayak Devon run trips to otherwise-inaccessible coves and caves along the south coast. You can even fish for your supper as you paddle. 

River Dart Picnic Boat

For a gourmet meal with a twist, hire the new Banquet Boat, which cruises up the River Dart in the spring and summer months. The two-hour session takes in views of Dartmouth Castle and the pretty village of Dittisham, while longer tours include the option of stopping off at Agatha Christie’s holiday home and wine-tasting on the Sharpham Estate. There’s cover in case of bad weather.

Divine Devon Towns and Villages

From divine Dartmoor villages to sun-soaked sailing towns, we round up our favourite places to visit in Dartmoor and South Devon.

Sun-soaked Salcombe

Chagford

This pretty stannary town is crammed with cafes, tea rooms, farm shops and delis. Check out Blacks for great light lunches and local farm produce, Moorland Dairy for delicious local ice-cream and Jaded Palates for a handpicked wine selection. Half-day closing on Wednesday afternoons. 

Ashburton

Ashburton

Dubbed the gateway to the moor, Ashburton is an elegant town whose fine slate-hung frontages house a well-to-do selection of delis, cafes and restaurants, most notably the Agaric Restaurant, the Fish Deli and Ashburton Deli. It's also a great place to stock up on antiques. 

Tavistock

Tavistock is the birthplace of Sir Francis Drake, and the UK's best market town according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England. What marks it out is its food. Country Cheeses showcases hundreds of the West Country's finest, and Crebers Delicatessen are both award winners. The farmers’ market fills elegant Bedford Square on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. 

Widecombe in the Moor

This remote 13th century village (above) is one of the moor's most picturesque. It has a lovely church, National Trust shop selling super-soft wool blankets and the tiny Rugglestone Inn, which has flagstone floors, open fires and Dartmoor and Butcombe Best Bitter poured straight from the barrel.

Widecombe in the Moor

Buckland in the Moor 

This hamlet is one of the most irresistibly pretty in the county, with a gorgeous scattering of thatched cottages and an ancient church. Stroll the hill above Buckland to find the ten commandments carved into an exposed rock.

Lustleigh

Everywhere you turn in the little village of Lustleigh you’re offered a postcard perfect view, from the ancient church to thatched cottages to the rolling hills of the surrounding Wrey Valley. Afternoon tea at the Primrose tea rooms offers all the scones, cream and loose-leaf tea your heart could desire. The village is famous for its show, and for lively May Day celebrations.

Dartmouth

Dartmouth

Undeniably pretty, this naval town on Devon's south coast is a gem, with ancient narrow streets, boutique shops, art galleries and delicatessens. A cobbled market place has colourful stalls and farmers markets supplying local produce. The county town of Dartmouth sits pretty on the River Dart estuary, and features a medieval castle, a museum housed in a 1640s merchant home, and a National Trust property – Agatha Christie’s home and walled garden Greenway. There’s no shortage of things to do in Dartmouth, including browsing its galleries, shopping in the one-off boutiques and eating the acclaimed seafood and local produce.

Salcombe

Salcombe is a gem of a town, with ancient narrow streets, pastel-coloured houses, boutique shops, art galleries, delicatessens and a bay bobbing with fishing boats. It’s a popular sailing destination, too, with ‘up-country’ yachtie visitors flock here in their hundreds in the summer. Island Street gives a taste of artisanal Salcombe – here you’ll find boat builders and art galleries, and even live lobster and crab on sale alongside buckets and spades, wetsuits, fishing tackle and chandlers. It’s also the home of local favourite Salcombe Dairy Ice Cream. You can strike out here for some of the outlying beaches, accessible from the South West Coastal Path, which runs through it. 

Exeter

Exeter, Devon’s congenial capital, has a fine Norman cathedral, a flourishing university, pretty Georgian streets, a few Roman ruins and a 14th century network of underground passages. The quayside has been attractively renovated, with antique and craft shops, cafés and pubs. 

Brixham

Topsham

The estuary-side town of Topsham is a delight: its narrow lanes wind towards the harbour, which is ringed with restaurants, pubs and antique shops. Other attractions include an appealing run of 18th-century Dutch-style gabled houses, a long riverside strand, huge antiques market on the quayside and the frilly Georgian Tea Rooms which are consistently voted the best in Devon. 

Brixham 

Tumbling down to the sea, this little fishing village makes for an idyllic day trip. A hundred boats dock daily at the famous fish market, and marine treats are a must for your lunch menu here: try the oysters, cockles and clams at harbourfront Claws, or get takeaway fish n chips at Rockfish by the market.

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