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Dartmoor / South & South West Devon Holiday and Tourism Information
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A sandy cove and Blackstone Rocks in the
Kingsbury Estuary - Photo:
Robin Lucas
CCL |
The truth of that old saying about variety being the
spice of life is clearly evident in this part of the
West Country where mountains, moors, rocky crags and
sun-blessed seaside resorts merge to create a unique
travel experience.
On South Devon’s highest ground
stands one of England’s few remaining wild places,
the vast granite-based expanse of the rain-soaked
Dartmoor National Park with its isolated villages,
dense woodlands and soaring summits.
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In stark contrast, the area that
surrounds this stunning 368 square miles of protected
landscape has one of the country’s mildest climates and
includes many picture-postcard villages, as well as the
‘Riviera’ of southern England at Torbay.
When the pieces of this geographic
jig-saw are added together they form one of
Britain’s most enchanting and unusual terrains.
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Dartmoor is fashioned from upland
moors topped by exposed granite hilltops or tors.
The highest point is High Willhays at more than
2,000 feet above sea level.
The region has inspired many
writers and artists, most notably Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle whose famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, had
to confront the ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’ amid the
peat bogs and teeming rivers of this special
landscape.
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Washbrook Valley, the eastern boundary of
Kingsbridge -
Photo:
Derek Harper
CCL |
The Park is the largest tract of open
country left in southern England and is most famous as
the dramatic location of Dartmoor Prison near Princetown.
The original jail was built in the 19th Century by French captives during the Napoleonic Wars.
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West Street, Tavistocks main shopping street -
Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
Many prehistoric fragments lie on
the moors, including hill forts, standing stones,
barrows and hut circles, the latter being the
remains of Bronze Age houses.
Most of these
monuments date to the late Neolithic and early
Bronze Age.
Although there is an obvious lack
of industry here, the area was a haven for miners
seeking tin, lead and copper during the medieval
period and the men established their own ‘Stannary’
courts at Tavistock, Chagford, Ashburton and
Plumpton.
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Walking has become a major pastime and
the Park boasts more than 400 miles of footpaths and
bridleways while the annual Ten Tors Challenge involves
the most intrepid ramblers trekking over steep-sided
hills.
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South Hams is a low-lying region of
rural splendour that partly surrounds Dartmoor.
Based on agriculture, farming and tourism, it has
five main rivers – the Plym, Yealm, Erme, Avon and
Dart – and a wealth of picturesque towns and
villages.
Many of these date back to the Middle Ages
and boast thatched cottages and ancient taverns.
Modern industry is largely confined
to the sprawling conurbation of Plymouth, a naval
city with an illustrious history.
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Smeaton's Lighthouse, Plymouth -
Photo:
Sheila Tarleton
CCL |
The adventurer Sir Francis Drake began
his circumnavigation of the globe from here in the 16th
century.
His lead was followed in 1620 by the Pilgrim Fathers and
in 1772 by Captain Cook. Fifty-nine years later the folk
of Plymouth watched Charles Darwin embark for the
Galapagos Islands.
South Devon’s natural wonders include
Canonteign Falls – the highest waterfall in England -
and Kents Cavern, site of the discovery of a 45,000-year
human bone. Other finds have included fossils of
sabre-toothed cat, bear, mammoth and wooly rhinoceros.
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Buckfast Abbey - Photo:
Ben Gamble
CCL |
Railway enthusiasts should not miss
a trip on the South Devon Railway that runs between
Buckfastleigh and Totnes alongside the River Dart.
Built in the late 19th century, the line
has a number of steam locos as well as historic
rolling stock and privately owned diesels.
Among the must-visit buildings of special interest
are magnificent Buckfast Abbey, which dates to the
11th century, medieval
Powderham Castle and Plant World Gardens boasting
the only 14-acre garden planted as a giant map of
the world.
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Tourist
Information Centres:
Ashburton
Information Centre, Town Hall, North St, Ashburton,
Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 7QH
Tel: 01364 653426
E-mail:
info@ashburton.org
Website:
www.ashburton.org
Bovey Tracey
Lower Car Park, Station Rd, Bovey Tracey, Devon, TQ13
9AW
Tel: 01626 832047
Dartmoor High Moorland Visitor Centre
Duchy Building, Tavistock Road, Princetown, Devon, PL20
6QF
Tel: 01822 890414
Ivybridge & South Dartmoor
Leonards Road, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0SL
Tel: 01752 897035 Fax: 01752 690660
Kingsbridge
Tourist Information Centre, The Quay, Kingsbridge,
Devon, TQ7 1HS
Tel: 01548 853195 Fax: 01548 854185
E-mail:
advice@kingsbridgeinfo.co.uk
Website:
www.kingsbridgeinfo.co.uk
Modbury
Tourist Information Centre, 4 Modbury Court, Church
Street, Modbury, Devon, PL21 0QR
Tel: 01548 830159 Fax: 01548 831371
Email:
modburytic@lineone.net
Moretonhampstead
Tourist Information Centre, 11 The Square,
Moretonhampstead, Devon, TQ13 8NF
Tel: 01647 440043
E-mail:
nimoreton@yahoo.com
Website:
www.moretonhampstead.com
Okehampton
Tourist Information Centre, 3 West St, Okehampton,
Devon, EX29 1HQ
Tel: 01837 53020
E-mail:
oketic@visit.org.uk
Plymouth
Tourist Information Centre, Island House, 9 The
Barbican, Plymouth, PL1 2LS
Tel: 01752 304849
E-mail:
barbicantic@plymouth.gov.uk
Plymouth
Tourist Information Centre, Plymouth Discovery Centre,
Crabtree, Plymouth, PL3 6RN
Tel: 01752 266030 or 266031
E-mail:
barbicantic@plymouth.gov.uk
Salcombe
Tourist Information Centre, Council Hall, Market Street,
Salcombe, Devon, TQ8 8DE
Tel: 01548 843927 Fax: 01548 842736
E-mail:
info@salcombeinformation.co.uk
Website:
www.salcombeinformation.co.uk
Tavistock
Tourist Information Centre, Town Hall, Bedford Square,
Tavistock, PL19 0AE
Tel: 01822 612938
E-mail:
Tavistocktic@westdevon.gov.uk
Whiddon Down
TIP, Little Chef, Whiddon Down, Devon, EX20 2QT
Tel: 01647 231375
Useful
Links:
www.mayflowersteps.co.uk - Information about Plymouth, past and
present - with a strong focus on the Mayflower and Pilgrim Fathers, as
well as Plymouth today.
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Ashburton Hotels |
Ashburton Bed &
Breakfast |
Ashburton B&B |
Ashburton Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Ashburton Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Bigbury-on-Sea Hotels |
Bigbury-on-Sea
Bed & Breakfast |
Bigbury-on-Sea B&B
| Bovey Tracey Hotels |
Bovey Tracey Bed
& Breakfast |
Bovey Tracey B&B |
Bovey Tracey Self
catering cottages, apartments, flats |
Brixton Hotels |
Brixton Bed &
Breakfast |
Brixton B&B |
Brixton Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Brixton Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Buckfastleigh Hotels |
Buckfastleigh
Bed & Breakfast |
Buckfastleigh B&B |
Buckfastleigh Self
catering cottages, apartments, flats |
Buckfastleigh
Camping sites, camp grounds, caravan sites |
Galmpton Hotels |
Galmpton Bed &
Breakfast |
Galmpton B&B |
Galmpton Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Hexworthy Hotels
| Hexworthy Bed &
Breakfast |
Hexworthy B&B
| Ivybridge Hotels |
Ivybridge Bed &
Breakfast |
Ivybridge B&B |
Ivybridge Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Kingsbridge Hotels |
Kingsbridge Bed &
Breakfast |
Kingsbridge B&B |
Kingsbridge Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Kingsbridge Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Lifton Hotels |
Lifton Bed & Breakfast
| Lifton B&B |
Lifton Self catering cottages,
apartments, flats |
Modbury Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Moretonhampstead Hotels |
Moretonhampstead Bed & Breakfast |
Moretonhampstead B&B
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Moretonhampstead Self catering cottages, apartments,
flats |
Okehampton Hotels |
Okehampton Bed &
Breakfast |
Okehampton B&B
| Okehampton Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Okehampton Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Plymouth Hotels |
Plymouth Bed &
Breakfast |
Plymouth B&B | Plymouth Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Plymouth Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Salcombe Hotels |
Salcombe Bed &
Breakfast |
Salcombe B&B |
Salcombe Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
South Brent Hotels
| South Brent Bed &
Breakfast |
South Brent B&B
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Tavistock Hotels |
Tavistock Bed &
Breakfast |
Tavistock B&B |
Tavistock Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
Two Bridges Hotels |
Two Bridges Bed &
Breakfast | Two Bridges B&B
| Yelverton Hotels |
Yelverton Bed &
Breakfast |
Yelverton B&B |
Yelverton Self catering
cottages, apartments, flats |
Yelverton Camping sites,
camp grounds, caravan sites |
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