Part of the magic of going on holiday is losing yourself in the area you’re staying in (usually metaphorically, but occasionally literally). Cottages on Dartmoor make it very easy to do just that during your South Devon holiday. Dartmoor National Park covers an area of more than 300 square miles of moorland, granite Tors (rocky outcrops that dominate the skyline) and unspoiled countryside – a substantial portion of which falls within South Devon.
Why book a cottage on Dartmoor?
Even Steven Spielberg was enamoured enough with the mysterious sweeping moors to film parts of his hit film War Horse there. Shooting locations for the film include Haytor and Combestone Tor, and if you’re a fan you should definitely head over to any of the tourist information centres in the area, who will happily give you more info on War Horse-related sites of interest.
Don’t be deceived into thinking that Dartmoor is just a vast wilderness populated only by rugged ponies and hardy hikers, though. There are plenty of cottages on Dartmoor that make a perfect base for exploring the hidden gems of this beautiful national park. There’s also a variety of villages and towns to explore, including Buckfastleigh, South Brent and Haytor Vale.
Dartmoor: Nature’s gateway to your South Devon holiday
One of the best things about staying on Dartmoor is that it puts both the natural wonders of the moor and the many exciting towns, attractions and beaches of South Devon within your reach.
Like many cottages in South Devon, a large proportion of the accommodation on Dartmoor is also pet friendly, which is just as well because it’s a fantastic place to walk the dog! Of course you need to be careful and keep your dog under control, particularly during lambing and bird breeding seasons, but this is simply a matter of common sense and courtesy.
There are plenty of picturesque walks and hikes you can take across Dartmoor, and you can pick up details of these from local visitor information centres and from guidebooks. On the southern area of the moor it’s generally a little easier going than in the higher, rockier north. Keep an eye out for ancient stone crosses and other evidence of Devonian ancestors who lived on the moor.
When looking for cottages in South Devon, there’s no need to limit your options to the big coastal towns. Dartmoor has plenty of top quality accommodation to choose from that lay in the heart of the best of the Devon countryside, and also provide convenient access to the beaches of the south Devon coast too. It’s easy to make Dartmoor your base to explore everything that south Devon has to offer.
If you do one thing…
Haytor is accessible and impressive enough to give you a flavour of Dartmoor without the need for a rucksack and compass… and there’s usually an ice cream van in the car park for afters!