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St. Andrews Church, Ashburton - Photo:
Patrick Gueulle
CCL |
An ancient
woolen centre on the banks of the River Yeo,
Ashburton is one of Dartmoor’s largest towns
and boasts an eclectic museum with an
internationally-famous collection of North
American Indian memorabilia. Ashburton became
a ‘Stannary’ town in the 14th century where
Dartmoor tin could be officially weighed and
tested.
A number of arcane ceremonies are staged
each year, including an ale tasting, a bread
weighing festival and a 1,000-year-old Court
and Law Day.
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Dart Country Park is an outdoors adventure
playground with trees that include redwoods
and red cedars, and nearby Dartmeet is one of
Dartmoor’s most popular beauty spots.
Buckfast Abbey, just a few miles from
Ashburton, stands as a testament to the
ingenuity and sheer determination of French
monks who rebuilt it over a period of 30 years
in the 20th century. The original 11th century
structure abbey was destroyed by Henry VIII.
Also nearby is the Iron Age hill fort of
Boro Wood Camp above the fast flowing the
River Dart. |
The West front of Buckfast Abbey - Photo:
Richard Thomson
CCL |
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Station Road, Bere Alston - Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
A small
village on the Bere peninsula, Bere Alston was
a thriving mining town in the medieval period,
its prosperity stemming from the extraction of
silver and lead. The remnants of some old
mines workings can still be seen locally. |
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| A small
village, Bere Ferrers lies on the spectacular
Bere Peninsula, sandwiched between the rivers
Tamar and Tavy. Its 14th century church has
the second oldest stained glass window in
Devon. |
View from Bere Ferrers across the River Tavy
to Blaxton Quay - Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
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Burgh Island - Photo:
Tony Maquire
CCL |
Although the
village lies inland, it is a popular seaside
resort with large beaches and the added
attraction of Burgh Island, which can be
visited on foot at low tide. The island’s Art
Deco-style hotel was erected in the 1920s by
the millionaire Archibald Nettlefold and
inspired visiting crime writer Agatha
Christie. |
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| Lying on the
River Bovey, this small town is an unofficial
gateway to Dartmoor and boasts a 19th century
watermill that has been converted into an art
and crafts complex. A perfect base for further
exploration, the town lies close to the
spectacular Becky Falls and the 370-acre
nature reserve Yarner Wood. The local church
was built by Sir William Tracey to make up for
his part in the murder of Thomas Becket. A
local plant nursery has the largest selection
of orchid species in the UK. |
Bovey Tracey Church - Photo:
Derek Harper
CCL |
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Bridestowe village street - Photo:
Martin Bodman
CCL |
Overlooked by
the majestic Great Links Tor (1,908ft), this
is a picturesque Dartmoor village with a
restored church dating back to the 15th
century. |
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An Ex-Great Western Railway Loco at
Buckfastleigh Station - Photo:
Martin Bodman
CCL |
Lying in the
Dart Valley on the South Devon Railway’s
steam-operated line, this is a small former
mill town on the southern fringes of Dartmoor.
The town’s local heritage centre has a
recreation of an old-fashioned Dartmoor pub.
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butterfly farm and an otter sanctuary.
Dartington Hall is the largest medieval house
in the west of England and stands within a
2,500-acre estate.
The town grew up around 11th century
Buckfast Abbey. Founded by King Canute in
1018, it was dissolved by Henry VIII in 1539
but lovingly rebuilt by a dedicated band of
French monks in the last century.
Hembury Woods and Hill Fort, owned by the
National Trust, lie north of the village. |
Dartington Hall and Gardens - Photo:
Dave Mitchell
CCL |
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The Three Crowns pub at Chagford - Photo:
Keith Ramsden
CCL |
Once a tin
mining centre and Stannary town on the banks
of the River Teign, picturesque Chagford lies
in the Dartmoor National Park and has
prehistoric origins. A number of stone circles
grace the moors. Nearby Gridleigh has the
ruins of an old castle. The local church of St
Michael’s dates from the 15th century and is
built of granite. |
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| This pretty
former coaching town lies in the magnificent
Teign Valley near Exeter and is well known by
climbers as the location of a dramatic
limestone rock formation. Famous visitors to
the town include William of Orange and Madame
Royale, who sought sanctuary following the
execution of her parents, Louis XIV and Marie
Antoinette. Nearby are prehistoric caves and
the mansion of Ugbrooke House, set in rolling
parkland landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. The
10-acre Rock Centre boasts magnificent views,
mossy dells and limestone cliffs. |
Chudleigh town centre and war memorials -
Photo:
Mike Crowe
CCL |
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A former mill town on the
banks of the River Erme, Ivybridge marks the
start of the 'Two Moors Way', which crosses
both Dartmoor and Exmoor. It is only a few
miles from the Devon coast. Its medieval
packhorse bridge was made famous by the
painter J M W Turner.
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Old Housing in Ivybridge - Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
River Erme at Ivybridge - Photo:
John Goodall
CCL |
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Washbrook Valley, the eastern boundary of
Kingsbridge - Photo:
Derek Harper
CCL |
Capital of
the South Hams area, this is an ancient town
whose weekly market dates back to the early
13th century when the region was owned by the
monks of Buckfast. The Shambles is a shopping
area that dates back to Elizabethan times.
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information is available. |
Countryside north of Lifton village - Photo:
Tim
CCL |
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| An ideal base
from which to explore the many charms of
Dartmoor National Park, this is a small town
with a long history. The National Trust owns
a group of almshouses dating to the early 17th
century as well as Castle Drogo, which stands
proudly above the Teign Valley. It was built
of granite in the last century by Julius Drewe,
a partner in the Home and Colonial Stores, and
designed by the architect Edwin Lutyens. |
Castle Drago, near Moretonhampstead - Photo:
Philip Halling
CCL |
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The Ring of Bells pub in North Bovey - Photo:
Richard Knights
CCL |
One of the
prettiest villages on Dartmoor, North Bovey is
encircled by steep, narrow lanes and has a
picturesque village green with thatched
cottages. A number of wayside crosses can be
seen in the locality. |
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A market town in Dartmoor
National Park, Okehampton lies above the
rambling River Okement and is dominated by the
great summits of High Willhays and Yes Tor.
Okehampton Castle – the largest medieval
castle in Devon - was ravaged by Henry VIII
but its keep and gatehouse have survived. |
Okehampton Castle - Photo:
John Spivey
CCL |
White Lady Waterfall - Photo:
John Spivey
CCL |
The Church St James
has a 15th century tower while the
remains of a prehistoric hill fort are nearby.
The surrounding moors have evidence aplenty of
long-dead industries, ranging from tin and
copper mines to peat works and quarries, as
well as the natural wonders of White Lady
Waterfall and the Lydford Gorge. The Museum of
Dartmoor Life offers remarkable insights into
the region’s history and culture.
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The centre of
this important seaport had to be rebuilt after
it was devastated by the Luftwaffe in World
War II, but the area as a whole recalls great
moments in history. Sir Francis Drake sailed
from here to defeat the Spanish Armada in
1588. Thirty-two years later Plymouth waved
farewell to the Pilgrim Fathers as they set
sail for America. All three of Captain Cook’s
world tours started here – as did the voyages
of ships carrying criminals to Australia in
the 19th century.
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Smeaton's Lighthouse - Photo:
Sheila Tarleton
CCL |
The Italian Garden and Orangery at Mount
Edgcumbe - Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL
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Drake lived
at Buckland House on the fringes of Dartmoor
in an old abbey that had been converted into a
house by the privateer Richard Grenville.
Drake famously played bowls on Plymouth Hoe,
which has stunning views across Plymouth Sound
and is now home to his statue and a lighthouse
originally built in 1759 by John Smeaton on
the nearby Eddystone Rocks. |
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Bligh, later Captain Bligh of ‘Mutiny on the
Bounty’ fame, was born in Plymouth and
baptised at 15th century St Andrew’s Church.
Captain Scott, the Antarctic explorer, was
born at Devonport, part of Plymouth’s network
of dockyards.
Major attractions here include Saltram
House, which possesses paintings by the local
artist Joshua Reynolds; Elizabethan House, the
former home of a sea captain; and Mount
Edgcumbe, a Tudor house with landscaped
gardens. The Royal Citadel fortress was built
during the Civil War. |
Saltram House - Photo:
Derek Harper
CCL |
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St. Michael and All Angels Church, Princetown
- Photo:
Tom Jolliffe
CCL |
The largest
town on Dartmoor, Princetown is also the
highest and one of the most isolated. It is
notorious as the setting for Dartmoor Prison
which started life as a place of confinement
for French captives during the Napoleonic
Wars. The modern Prison Museum is one of
Devon’s must-see attractions. A good base for
further exploration, Princetown is close to
Bronze Age burials cists (hollowed out stone
coffins), prehistoric standing stones and hut
circles. Prominent landmarks include North
Hessary Tor at 1,800ft. |
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Boasting picturesque coves
and a mild climate, this one-time fishing
village is Devon’s most southerly seaside
resort and has earned itself a reputation as a
centre for sailing in its many guises. A
regatta is staged here each August in the
tidal Kingsbridge Estuary.
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A sandy cove and Blackstone Rocks in the
Kingsbury Estuary - Photo:
Robin Lucas
CCL |
View across Salcombe Harbour from East
Portlemouth - Photo:
Martin Bodman
CCL |
Prawle Point - the most
southerly point in the county - can be reached
by one of several ferries that ply their trade
in Salcombe.
Just beyond the resort is
the National Trust’s seven-acre gardens
surrounding an Edwardian house at Overbecks.
The nearby village of Hope Cove has popular
beaches and clear waters. |
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| A popular
bird watching centre, the village of Slapton
sits on a hill looking down on a pretty
shingle beach used as a training ground for
American troops prior to the D-Day landings in
the Second World War. A square, 14th century
tower in the village is an atmospheric remnant
of a long-gone chantry building. Nearby is
Slapton Ley, a wetland reserve, which has the
largest natural freshwater lake in the West
Country. |
Slapton Sands - Photo:
Jon Rogers
CCL |
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View north from the top of Brent Hill - Photo:
Derek Harper
CCL |
This Dartmoor
village sits on the River Avon in the south of
the National Park and prospered as a woolen
centre. Nearby, on the moors, are numerous
prehistoric remains ranging from hut circles
to barrows. St Petroc’s Church has an
impressive Norman tower and a 12th century
font. |
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| This farming
village lies in the picturesque valley of the
River Taw on the fringes of desolate moorland.
As a reminder of its industrial heritage the
National Trust has transformed a 19th century
water-powered foundry into a ‘living’ museum. |
Finch Foundry at Sticklepath - Photo:
Ben Gamble
CCL |
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Royal William Victualling Yard - Photo:
Martin Bodman
CCL |
Now part of
the docklands that make up the conurbation of
Plymouth, Stonehouse dates back at least to
the Roman era and has a remarkable maritime
history. Its most important buildings include
the Royal Navy Hospital, Royal Marine Barracks
and the Royal William Victualling Yard. |
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| Mainly
Victorian, this one-time copper mining centre
and Stannary town lies in the western part of
Dartmoor and grew around a 10th century
Benedictine abbey. Remains of the structure
can be found near the 15th century parish
church. The adventurer Sir Francis Drake was
born near Tavistock at Crowndale Farm in 1540. |
West Street, Tavistocks main shopping street -
Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
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View over Torcross, with Slapton Ley nature
reserve to the left of the picture - Photo:
Tony Atkin
CCL |
Lying close
to the Slapton Ley nature reserve, this pretty
village has its own long stretch of sandy
beach and, like neighbouring Slapton Sands,
was used as a training ground for American
troops as they prepared for D-Day. A Sherman
tank parked in the village acts as a memorial
to hundreds of soldiers killed on one
exercise. Nearby are photogenic views over
Start Bay. |
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| Made famous
by the song about Tom Pearce and Uncle Tom
Cobleigh, this is one of Dartmoor’s most
popular stop-offs for visitors to the West
Country, its evocative cottages beckoning
visitors to the foot of Widecombe Hill. The
village’s 14th century landmark church is
known as the Cathedral of the Moors thanks, in
part, to its soaring, 135ft tower. The equally
impressive Hameldown Beacon is nearby.
Widecombe Fair is still held each year, though
Uncle Tom Cobleigh can’t attend. |
Widecombe village centre - Photo:
Garth Newton
CCL |
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Buckfast Abbey - Photo:
Pete Chapman
CCL |
A busy
Dartmoor town, Yelverton stands at the heart
of a region made famous by the great English
adventurer Sir Francis Drake who lived in the
former monastery of Buckland Abbey. It is now
managed by the National Trust and hosts
exhibitions about the life of this remarkable
English hero. Other major attractions include
gardens within the ruins of a medieval
vicarage and the Yelverton Paperweight Centre. |
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