Dartmoor Accommodation

South East Dartmoor National Park, Dartmoor Devon UK

South East Dartmoor is a superb Dartmoor base for families. A little less rugged, with plenty of amenities, holiday attractions and outdoor activities around the River Dart available. South East Dartmoor hotspots include old stannary town Ashburton, which has a superb little museum with a renowned display of Native American artefacts!

Buckfast Abbey near Buckfastleigh is still a working abbey with Benedictine monks! The superb nostalgic South Devon Steam Railway runs through this area from Totnes, and is a great way to view the fast flowing River Dart. South East Dartmoor is perfect for walkers, with easy access to some of Dartmoor's most striking Tors such as Haytor, or medieval settlements and features such as Bowerman's Nose. A gentler side of Dartmoor indeed, with lots of choice country pubs (check out the Valiant Soldier in Buckfastleigh restored and preserved with a post war interior!) Let the kids run riot at the River Dart Adventure complex, with canoeing on the River Dart or letting rip on the outdoor adventure playground.

Ashburton, Stannary Town Dartmoor

Ashburton in south east Dartmoor, conveniently just off the A38 is a great family Dartmoor base, with lots of attractions such as Buckfast Abbey, the Butterfly and Otter Sanctuary, the South Devon Steam Railway and superb outdoor watersports on the River Dart all nearby. You've easy access to the Dartmoor National Park from Ashburton as well, the town proclaims itself as the 'gateway to the moors'! There's a fascinating 14th century church, the Chapel of St Lawrence (this is closed from October-April), plus a variety of country pubs, tearooms and a selection of B&Bs and hotels. Ashburton came to prominence as a stannary town to the tin industry, acting as a key centre for the weighing and taxing of tin.

You can date Ashburton's history though back to the Saxon period. They still hold the Saxon tradition of 'Court Leet' here every November, which involveds a vote in the portreeve of the Chapel of St Lawrence! There's a very good local museum in Ashburton, and as well as local history there's an extensive collection of Native American artefacts! The collection is the internationally renowned Endacott Collection of North American Indian items. Well worth a look!

There's the interesting 14th century chapel of St Lawrence in Ashburton too. It's closed from October to April though. It was used as a school for a few hundred years as well as serving as a private chapel for the Bishop of Exeter.

Ashburton Museum, 1 West Street, Ashburton. Tel: 01364 652648, is open from May-Sept 2.30-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Saturdays. The museum is closed from Oct-Apr. It's only �1 to get in, and children enter free!

Buckfast Abbey, South Dartmoor

South of Ashburton is Buckfast Abbey dating from the 11th century when it was set up by Canute, and was a Benedictine Abbey. In the 12th century however it was taken over by the Cistercians and rebuilt in the Cistercian style. Under Cistercian monk occupancy Buckfast really began to thrive, as the Cistercians owned large amounts of land in the area, and were the bedrock of Dartmoor's wool trade in this period. Wool was exported from Buckfast as far a field as Florence at one time.

By the time Henry VIII got around to dissolving the monastries to curb both their power, and acquire their wealth the monastries were in decline anyway. Dissolution came to Buckfast Abbey on 25th February, 1539. This Dartmoor Abbey was visited by the king's commissioners, including five lawyers. William Petre, the King's representative, was at Torre Abbey on the 23rd February and Buckfast Abbey on the 25th. After he'd closed them, he tottled off to Buckland and closed that on the 27th and Plympton Priory on 1st March. Over a period of four months forty monasteries in the South West had been dissolved!

Buckfast Abbey is still a working abbey, occupied by Benedictine Monks and you can find out more on what they get upto, and what being a Benedictine Monk involves today in their informative website (link to the right). Buckfast attracts many visitors, as the church is indeed striking and the Cistercian architecture, rebuilt by French Benedictine monks between 1907 and 1938, conforms exactly to the original Cistercian layout. Gothic and Romanesque features about inside the church. There's also a small restaurant come cafe on-site, plus conference rooms available. Catch one of the choral performances! There's a gift shop, and a monastic produce shop as well, for that really quirky gift, fantastic!

Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Tel: 01364 645500)

South Devon Steam Railway

No trip to South East Dartmoor is complete without a trip on the nostalgic South Devon Steam Railway. This railway has been lovingly restored by steam railway enthusiasts, much like the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, and is now a registered Charity operating a Standard Gauge Railway between Buckfastleigh and Totnes in South Devon. Trains stop at Ashburton and trips from Totnes take in breathtaking views of the River Dart. This railway route has a bit of a history, and was built by the South Devon Railway, opening on 1st May 1872.

It then changed hands to Great Western Railway in 1876, and ran until 7th September 1962 when it closed. Lucky for us, it was re-opened as a preserved steam line on 5th April 1969. The line is now owned by the South Devon Railway Trust took who took it over in January 1991. Choose to journey on a number of steam locomotives and privately owned diesels, together with some historic rolling stock.

There is a Buckfastleigh Station Gift shop, stocking all your Hornby must haves and general steam railway memorabilia. The South Devon Steam Railway offer a superb range of themed steam railway days out, including Santa's train, or why not drive a diesel engine or charter your own train. A superb family day out in South Dartmoor, and a great way to get to specialist shopping mecca and historic Devon hotspot Totnes. Totnes also has some superb vegetarian and organic food outlets, cafes and restaurants.

South Devon Railway Trust, The Station, Buckfastleigh, South Devon, TQ11 0DZ. Tel: 0845 3451420

River Dart Outdoor Watersports

The River Dart, and the popular holiday village, River Dart Adventures based in Holne Park are a key attraction for families particularly in South East Dartmoor. River Dart Adventures (check their weblink to the right) offer a choice of waterspots and landbased sports including open canoeing, abseiling, and climbing. The complex has some superb adventure playgrounds with activities over water, and you can hook into group outdoor activities, all supervised by qualified instructors.

Facilities at River Dart Adventures are superb for families, either as a holiday base or for day visits. What have you got, well there's outdoor adventure playgrounds with pirate ships!, lakes and walks, a caf� bar and Restaurant (open weekends only in low season) and a Park Shop for daily requirements. Indoor activities include a Children�s Games Room with snooker tables and amusements, a Big Screen TV room showing films each evening in high season, two tennis courts but visitors need to bring their own rackets. There's also an outdoor heated swimming pool and toddlers paddling pool. Could you want for more, with easy access into the rest of Dartmoor National Park - fantastic!

River Dart Adventures also run numerous events and rallies throughout the year. Check their website to the right for details.

Dart Adventures, Holne Park, Ashburton, Newton Abbot, Devon. TQ13 7NP. Tel: 01364 652511. (the park is closed from December to March!)

South East Dartmoor - More Attractions

Buckfastleigh Butterfly Farm & Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary, The Station, Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ11 0DZ, Tel: 01364 642916

The Valiant Soldier, 79 Fore Street, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TQ11 0BS. Tel: 01364 644522.

Home Top