EXPERIENCES IN AND AROUND DARTMOOR

From stone bridges and ancient villages to open moorland and wooded valleys, Dartmoor’s classic sights are easily reached from Moorland View. Many of our guests enjoy combining a short outing with time at home, striking an easy balance between exploring and slowing down. We don’t try to list everything. Dartmoor rewards curiosity, and we prefer to share our most personal recommendations with guests.

FROM THE DOORSTEP

  • Climb a Dartmoor tor

    Blow away the cobwebs with a hike through epic moors, forested glades and leafy riversides – quiet, expansive and deeply grounding. We share our favourite routes from the cottage in the guest guide, with gentle pointers so you can wander without worry.

  • Have a pub roast

    Few things beat a long walk followed by a good pub lunch. Our local, the thatched Ring of Bells, has a sunny garden, excellent food, friendly locals and a well-kept selection of local ales. Other walkable favourites include The Cleave in Lustleigh and The Horse in Moretonhampstead.

  • Be pampered in a castle

    Soothe body and soul with a spa day at Bovey Castle, reached by a beautiful riverside walk or a short drive from the cottage. Swim beneath Art Deco ceilings, unwind in the sauna, or have a treatment. Day access to the five-star spa and leisure facilities is available from £30 per person.

  • Go starry-eyed

    With no street lights and wonderfully dark skies, North Bovey is a magical place after dusk. On clear nights, the Milky Way is often visible to the naked eye – one of the many reasons couples choose Dartmoor for quiet, romantic breaks and honeymoons.

NEARBY OUTINGS (within a 30-min drive)

  • Eat in a Michelin-starred restaurant

    For couples who appreciate exceptional food, Dartmoor quietly punches above its weight. Our closest Michelin-starred restaurant is Gidleigh Park, a grand Tudor-style country manor near Chagford. Just eight miles away, some guests walk from Moorland View.

  • Potter around cute Dartmoor villages

    Dartmoor is dotted with small, characterful villages, each with its own rhythm and charm. From the towering church at Widecombe to ever-so-English Lustleigh and blink-and-you-miss-it Buckland, our guest guide gives you the low-down on the prettiest places to linger.

  • Visit a prehistoric hut circle

    Dartmoor is one of Britain’s richest landscapes for prehistoric remains, with ancient hut circles and stone rows scattered across the open moor. Two of the most atmospheric – Grimspound and Scorhill Stone Circle – lie just beyond the village. In our guest guide, we explain how to see them at their most evocative.

  • Visit a waterfall - or three!

    From dramatic cascades after heavy rain to gentler woodland falls in summer, Dartmoor has more waterfalls than most visitors expect. We share our favourite short walks and the best times to visit them in our guest guide – including a few that stay mercifully uncrowded.

  • Explore local history

    Norman castles, Benedictine abbeys and quietly eccentric museums lie within easy reach of the moor. These make ideal, unhurried outings when you fancy venturing a little further afield – best enjoyed without trying to cram too much into a single day.

  • Stock up on Devon produce

    Dartmoor-reared lamb, hand-dived scallops, sparkling English whites – and some very fine cheese. With such a rich natural larder on our doorstep, there’s little need for supermarkets. Nearby Chagford is one of our favourite food stops, and we name others in our tailor-made Devon shopping guide for foodies.

  • Indulge in a cream tea

    Just-baked scones, gooey clotted cream and lashings of strawberry jam - no holiday in Devon is complete without a traditional cream tea. We’ve revealed a few of our favourites in our public ‘Dartmoor cream tea guide’ – from dainty tea rooms to country mansions. We also provide a cream tea as part of our optional little luxuries.

  • Go antiques shopping

    Ashburton is a traditional edge-of-the-moor town with a quietly chic feel. Elegant terraces and granite cottages line its winding streets, where you can browse everything from characterful antiques to beautifully curated homewares.

FURTHER AFIELD (within an hour’s drive)

  • Take a road trip

    Drive into the Dartmoor wilderness to see Bronze Age hut circles, fairytale castles, mystical woodlands, thatched moorland villages and the moor’s famous wild horses. Stop for a relaxed lunch in a cosy pub, and pick up a piece of locally made pottery or a handwoven basket along the way. Our bespoke road trip from Moorland View is best taken slowly, with time to stop, wander and take it all in.

  • Be beside the seaside

    Swap moorland air for the coast. Devon’s finest sandy beaches are close enough for a day trip – perfect for paddling, picnics, bracing swims and fish and chips eaten straight from the paper. Years of selfless research (!) means we know the most picturesque coves that tend to stay quieter, even in the height of summer.

  • Lose yourself in a garden

    Devon is home to some of the UK’s finest gardens, from historic estates to romantic walled gardens and abbey ruins. Stand-out examples include RHS Rosemoor and Dartington Hall Gardens. We also share a particularly special, lesser-known garden with guests – one we deliberately don’t write about publicly.

  • Visit a stately home

    Spend a leisurely afternoon exploring one of Devon’s great historic houses, where elegant rooms, sweeping parkland and carefully tended gardens invite unhurried wandering. Powderham Castle is a fine example – best enjoyed slowly, with time for a walk, a pause, and a cup of tea before heading back to the cottage.

EATING & DRINKING

We share thoughtful dining suggestions with our guests – from relaxed lunches to memorable dinners, and how to weave them naturally into walks and moorland days. Here’s a shortlist.

  • For anniversaries, celebrations and unhurried evenings, these places offer polish and pedigree without feeling showy.

    • Gidleigh Park – refined, formal and quietly impressive

    • Bovey Castle – elegant dining with moorland views

    We share our favourite fine-dining restaurants in Devon in our expert travel guides.

  • Unpretentious settings where the food genuinely shines – ideal after a walk or day on the moor.

    • The Ring of Bells, North Bovey

    • The Cleave, Lustleigh

    • The Horse, Moretonhampstead

  • Good daytime spots for coffee, light lunches and unhurried mornings out.

    • Hippo, Moretonhampstead

    • Beehive, Chagford

    • Cafe on the Green, Widecombe

    • The Seahorse, Dartmouth

    • Beach Hut, South Milton Sands

    • Rockfish Grill, Salcombe

LOCAL WALKS

The landscape around Moorland View is well suited to walking. Paths range from gentle and enclosed to wide and open, allowing guests to explore at their own pace without planning or pressure. Our favourite Dartmoor walks range from gentle strolls to all-day adventures, and change naturally with the weather and the season.

  • One of the pleasures of staying in North Bovey is how easily the landscape opens up. Walks begin straight from the cottage, rising gently onto open moorland towards places like Easdon Tor, without the need to drive or plan ahead. It’s an easy, natural way to slip into Dartmoor’s slower rhythm.

  • Dartmoor is a lived-in landscape, shaped over thousands of years. Walking here brings you into close contact with prehistoric sites such as Grimspound and Scorhill Stone Circle, where the sense of history feels quietly embedded rather than curated or signposted.

  • Sheltered and intimate, Dartmoor’s woodland valleys offer a softer, quieter contrast to the open moor. Areas such as Lustleigh Cleave feel enclosed and calm, with winding paths, mossy rock faces and birdsong replacing wide horizons. These walks are particularly appealing in warmer weather or on breezier days.

  • Walking on Dartmoor is never quite the same twice. Spring brings colour and birdsong, summer long evenings and higher ground, autumn softens the landscape, and winter strips it back to something stark and beautiful. We share our preferred timings and routes with guests, shaped by the season and the weather.

  • Step higher and the landscape opens out. Wide skies, long views and a sense of space define Dartmoor’s open moorland, where paths feel less prescribed and walking becomes more instinctive. It’s a landscape that rewards an unhurried pace and changing light, especially early or late in the day.

HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Dartmoor is dotted with historic houses, abbeys and estates that reflect the area’s long and varied past. These are places best visited at the right moment rather than rushed through, and we share our guidance on timing privately with guests.

  • The last castle built in England, Castle Drogo sits dramatically above the Teign Gorge. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, it offers a glimpse into early 20th-century ambition, with fine views and access to some of Dartmoor’s most beautiful gorge walking.

  • A substantial Norman ruin on the edge of the moor, Okehampton Castle hints at Dartmoor’s medieval importance and provides a striking contrast to the surrounding landscape.

  • Once home to Sir Francis Drake, Buckland Abbey combines medieval architecture with later Tudor additions, set within quiet woodland on the western edge of Dartmoor. The surrounding estate feels peaceful and unhurried, with walks that suit a slower pace.

  • Set high on the moor above Princetown, Dartmoor Prison has long been part of the area’s darker folklore. A small museum explores its history and the realities of life on the moor in harsher times.

  • Set on the edge of Plymouth Sound, Saltram is an elegant Georgian house with beautifully proportioned interiors and a strong sense of place. Its riverside parkland and landscaped grounds make it as appealing for a gentle walk as for the house itself, particularly outside peak visiting times.

CHARACTERFUL TOWNS & VILLAGES

This part of Devon is shaped by a rich mix of towns, villages and smaller hamlets. While some are well known, others are best discovered quietly — and shared only with guests.

  • A lively stannary town on the edge of the moor, Chagford has a strong independent feel, with cafés, delis and small shops clustered around the square. It’s an easy place to wander for lunch or provisions, particularly outside the middle of the day.

  • Often described as the gateway to Dartmoor, Ashburton is an elegant market town known for its food culture and antiques. Slate-hung buildings line the main street, housing well-regarded delis, cafés and restaurants alongside independent shops.

  • One of Dartmoor’s most recognisable villages, Widecombe is dominated by its large parish church and surrounded by open moorland. It’s steeped in local folklore and feels especially atmospheric beyond peak visiting hours.

  • Sitting on the Exe Estuary, Topsham is known for its narrow lanes, historic houses and strong antique and food scene. A gentle riverside walk and relaxed pace give it a distinctly local feel.

  • Set above the River Dart, Totnes has a distinctly independent, bohemian character. Known for its markets, alternative shops and strong food culture, it’s a good place to wander without an agenda, particularly on quieter weekdays.

OUR ‘SECRET DEVON’ GUIDE

Some places are too good to share on the internet. Our guest-only Secret Devon Travel Guide brings together the local knowledge we’ve gathered over years of exploring the area – quiet, characterful places that are rarely written about.

RESERVE YOUR DATES

WHAT YOU’LL FIND IN OUR GUEST EDITION

  • Details on when to visit well-known places – and when to avoid them

  • Carefully chosen recommendations that offer a genuine taste of local life, while steering you away from overpriced tourist traps

  • Peaceful picnic spots with far-reaching views

  • Little-known romantic places you’re likely to have to yourselves

  • Sunset viewpoints, dusk walks, stargazing spots and short scenic pauses that feel personal rather than “touristy”

  • Insider practicalities – where to park, when to arrive, and what to skip