See & do on Dartmoor

Hennock has one pub — The Palk Arms, just a few doors down (more on it
below). Beyond the village there's plenty within easy reach:

• In Bovey Tracey (ten minutes): a proper butcher, greengrocer and
  delicatessen on Fore Street, a Tesco (with a cash point) and a small Co-op
  with its own parking. For a night in there's a Chinese takeaway, a fish bar
  and BFC for pizza and kebabs — most Bovey takeaways are cash only, and
  there's a cash machine next to Tesco. The Royal Gurkha curry house
  delivers. For a sit-down meal, Heather's favourite is Café 360 for
  lovely fresh food.
• Devon's prettiest village pubs: the Kestor Inn at Manaton and The
  Cleave at Lustleigh are both short, scenic drives and do excellent food.
• Sunday roasts: the Palk is the closest and best; for a day out,
  Ullacombe Farm does a fantastic Sunday lunch and sits right by the walk
  up Haytor to work it off afterwards.
• A local legend: the burger van outside Mole Valley Farmers —
  supplied by its own farm, the pork roast sandwiches are famous.
• In style: Bovey Castle has two restaurants (one formal, one
  relaxed) set in beautiful grounds with a golf course. Darts Farm (a
  little further) has a superb food hall, local drinks, a gift shop, an AGA
  store and a café.
• Exeter (under 30 minutes) has a fantastic high street and is a day out
  in itself.

Stocking up

The nearest big supermarket is the Co-op near Trago Mills; Newton
Abbot (fifteen minutes) has all the major superstores, and they all deliver
to us — arranging a delivery before you arrive can save you an errand.
Trago Mills itself is more than a shop: a hundred acres with a food court,
the South West's largest garden centre, a working steam railway and even
peacocks.

Hennock village, lying along a shelf high on the side of the Teign valley,
is the historic centre of Hennock Parish. It has a primary school, church,
pub and village hall (the old tithe barn) but little in the way of other
facilities. As with other settlements in the Teign valley, its growth
depended in part on farming and the local mining and quarrying industries.

Situated 600 feet above sea level on the south side of the beautiful
Teign Valley, it is reputed to have one of the best views in Devon. Owing
to the village being built as a kilometre-long ribbon along the contour
line, almost every house has a view over the valley below.

St Mary's is an ancient Devon church — the oldest parts date from the
12th century, but there has probably been a place of worship here since
Saxon times. A leaflet about the church and its history is inside.

We feel incredibly lucky to host you just a few doors down from The Palk
Arms. The garden is a lovely spot for kids and dogs, the pub and staff
are friendly to both, and they serve great traditional pub grub, real ale,
and plenty of fun through the week.

The Palk Arms calendar

• Monday — closed for food (and sometimes closed completely)
• Wednesday — pub quiz at 8pm
• Friday — meat raffle at 8:15pm
• Sunday — Sunday lunch (call to book)

Check their Facebook page for live music and other events.

A little history

Situated on land once owned by the wealthy Palk family, and possibly
sited on what was, a very long time ago, the village green. Early records
from 1642 show that five gentlemen were licensed to sell alcohol in
Hennock: Robert Pethybridge, Samuel Elliot, John Creale, John Potter and
a Mr Pawlye.

It is assumed that the Palk Arms only became a public house between 1828
and 1838. During the Second World War it was a popular haunt for American
GIs billeted in and around Stover and Chudleigh Knighton — there must have
been many drunken nights, with the Americans supplying bourbon to the
landlord, and the vicar coming out of the vicarage to shout at the late
drinkers falling out of the pub.

The 1891 census shows the Palk Arms with a family of ten living in the
house, and the adjacent Union Inn — a cider house — home to a family of
nine. By the entrance to the ladies' room downstairs is a large bread
oven, eight feet deep and twenty inches high, from its days as a baker's.

• Hennock Reservoirs — one of our favourites for walking the dogs, a short
  drive from Longlands and once featured on an episode of Time Team. Lovely
  off-road paths and footbridges link Trenchford and Tottiford, ending in a
  rugged round-lake walk at Tottiford.
• Haytor Rocks — the most famous local spot, with spectacular views across
  Dartmoor and the South Devon coast, and a short walk from the National Park
  visitor centre. Well worth braving the crowds.
• Haldon Forest — between Exeter and Longlands; well-maintained trails for
  every ability, plus mountain biking, a pump loop and orienteering. Great for
  the dog.
• Wistman's Wood — a magical, otherworldly tangle of stunted oaks on the
  slopes of the West Dart, a waymarked walk from the Two Bridges Hotel. A must
  for anyone who loves natural history.

Our favourite day out

Pick up something sweet for breakfast at Thomas the bakery in Bovey
Tracey, drive through (and maybe stop a while in) Widecombe-in-the-Moor of
Widecombe Fair fame, walk the dog at Grimspound — a late-Bronze-Age
settlement where 24 stone roundhouses survive inside a 150-metre boundary wall
— then lunch with the dogs at The White Hart in Moretonhampstead. Mooch
around the village, let the children and dogs play by the church, and finish
with a cream tea at the Gateway Tearoom before heading home through the
moors.

There's loads to do whatever the weather:

• House of Marbles, Bovey Tracey — free entry and parking, mesmerising
  marble runs, a working glassworks, museums of pottery and glass, and a
  restaurant.
• Becky Falls — an ancient woodland valley with a dramatic 70ft waterfall,
  trails for all abilities, and twice-daily animal encounters. Good for
  children and dogs.
• Crealy Theme Park — over 60 rides and attractions, voted Devon's best
  day out eight years running.
• Babbacombe Model Village — four acres of award-winning gardens and
  hundreds of miniature scenes.
• MAKE Southwest (formerly the Devon Guild of Craftsmen), Bovey Tracey — an
  acclaimed gallery and shop for contemporary craft and design.
• Huxbear Vineyard — a 90-minute walking tour and tasting (£12, under-16s
  free, well-behaved dogs welcome).
• Haytor Quarry Pools — a gentle introduction to wild swimming, an easy
  walk from the car park and rarely busy.
• Bovey Tracey open-air pool — a heated 25m pool run by volunteers, with a
  warm toddler pool.
• Further afield: Plymouth Gin Distillery (England's oldest working
  distillery), World of Country Life, Finlake Riding Centre, the
  Moretonhampstead Motor Museum, and Ugbrooke House & Gardens (open
  Mondays–Thursdays in June and July).
• And for something completely different, The Jolly Roger — the UK's
  largest maker of life-size resin and fibreglass models and props. You can
  visit and see all the weird and wonderful things on display.

The Palk Arms in Hennock is a two-minute walk from the gate — real ales, proper home-cooked food and a weekly quiz night. Call ahead to book a table, especially in summer.

For something more local and daytime, Café 360 and Ullacombe Farm in Bovey Tracey (both 10 min) are good for coffee, lunch and local produce.

Huxbear Vineyard (10 min) is one of Devon's best small vineyards — they do tastings and the setting is beautiful. No need to book for a wander; check their website for tasting session times.

For a proper moorland pub crawl, head to The Kestor Inn at Manaton or The Cleave at Lustleigh — both classic Devon village pubs with good food and the sort of atmosphere that makes you stay longer than intended.

Bovey Castle (10 min) does an excellent afternoon tea and its dining room is one of the better hotel restaurants in Devon. Booking essential. Darts Farm near Topsham (30 min) is the region's finest farm shop: butcher, fishmonger, deli, restaurant and cooking school.

If you want a curry, The Royal Gurkha in Bovey Tracey is well regarded locally.

Footpaths leave straight from our gate onto the Teign Valley and surrounding woodland — you don't need to drive to get onto the moor.

Hennock Reservoirs (10 min on foot) — Tottiford, Trenchford and Kennick — form a tranquil woodland loop of about four miles. Dogs love it; wellies advised in winter.

Haytor Rocks (15 min drive) is the iconic Dartmoor tor — a short but dramatic walk with views to the sea on a clear day. The adjacent Haytor Quarry Pools are a beautiful detour worth making. Park at Haytor car park (TQ13 9XT).

Grimspound (20 min) is one of the best-preserved Bronze Age settlements in England — a vast stone enclosure on open moorland. Eerie and wonderful.

Widecombe-in-the-Moor (20 min) is the classic Dartmoor village: 14th-century church, a cluster of pubs and tea rooms, and a fair on the second Tuesday of September. Worth a wander in any season.

Wistman's Wood near Two Bridges Hotel is unlike anything else in England — ancient dwarf oaks draped in moss, utterly otherworldly. Allow two hours return from the car park at Two Bridges (PL20 6SW).

Haldon Forest has excellent waymarked trails and a bike-hire centre — a good wet-weather option when the open moor feels too exposed.

Horse riding on Dartmoor is spectacular. Finlake Riding Centre (15 min) offers hacks across the moor for all abilities — book ahead in summer.

Cycling: Haldon Forest has waymarked mountain-bike trails and a bike-hire centre open most weekends. The lanes around Hennock are beautiful but steep — best for confident cyclists.

Swimming: Bovey Tracey open-air pool (10 min) is a genuine community lido open in summer — a lovely way to spend a warm afternoon. Wild swimmers will find the Teign and its tributaries close to the house; ask us for current safe spots.

Golf: Bovey Castle has an 18-hole parkland course, open to non-residents with advance booking.

Fishing: The Teign is a noted salmon and trout river. Day tickets are available — ask Heather for current permit contacts.

Becky Falls (10 min) is a waterfall in ancient oak woodland with a small animal park and café — a reliable half-day for families with younger children.

House of Marbles in Bovey Tracey (5 min) is free to enter: a Victorian pottery works turned glass and marble museum with a vast toy shop. Watch glass-blowers at work on weekdays.

Crealy Theme Park near Exeter (30 min) is the south-west's biggest theme park — a full-day out for families with children up to about 12.

Babbacombe Model Village in Torquay (30 min) is a wonderfully detailed miniature Devon village, lovely on a sunny afternoon.

World of Country Life in Exmouth (40 min) combines a farm park, model railway and fairground rides.

Trago Mills near Newton Abbot (20 min) is an enormous local institution — a discount shopping centre with rides, a boating lake and a café. Sounds odd, thoroughly worth it with kids.

MAKE Southwest in Bovey Tracey (10 min) is one of the best craft galleries in the country — the home of the Devon Guild of Craftsmen, with changing exhibitions and a wonderful shop. Free entry.

Moretonhampstead (20 min) is a proper Dartmoor market town — independent shops, the Gateway Tearoom, The White Hart pub and the Moretonhampstead Motor Museum. Worth an afternoon.

Ugbrooke House near Chudleigh (20 min) is a Robert Adam–designed country house with beautiful grounds, open for tours in summer. Check their website for dates before visiting.

Exeter (30 min) has the cathedral, Roman walls, a covered market, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (free) and excellent independent restaurants. Worth a full day.

Plymouth (50 min) has the Barbican, the Gin Lane quarter (home of Plymouth Gin Distillery tours), the Hoe and the National Marine Aquarium.

Longlands is 30–40 minutes from the coast in several directions.

Shaldon and Teignmouth are the closest — a narrow sandy beach, charming estuary towns and a passenger ferry between them that's a delight on a sunny day.

Oddicombe and Babbacombe near Torquay have calm, clear water and a famous cliff railway down to the beach — a classic British beach day.

Dartmouth (about 45 min) is arguably Devon's most beautiful town — walk the castle, take the ferry across the Dart and have lunch on the waterfront.

Burgh Island near Bigbury-on-Sea (about an hour) is a tidal island reached by sea tractor — deeply Agatha Christie, very Devon. The art deco hotel bar is worth the trip even if you're not staying.

A car is almost essential for exploring Dartmoor properly. Country lanes here are narrow — take your time, use passing places, and don't assume the other driver knows what they're doing.

The Dartmoor Sunday Rover bus runs a scenic circuit of the moor in summer (check Devon County Council's website for dates and timetable). It's a lovely way to see the high moor without driving.

Bovey Tracey (10 min) has a Tesco, Mole Valley Farmers, independent shops, a post office, pharmacy and several cafés. It covers most everyday errands.

Newton Abbot (20 min) has the nearest train station with direct services to London Paddington, Bristol and Exeter. The hospital is here too if you need it.

Exeter (30 min) has the airport, the cathedral, excellent shopping and some of the best restaurants in the south-west.