My husband and I will be visiting Cornwall and Dartmoor next fall (2019). We have our town/accommodation selected in Cornwall, but I'm wondering where in Dartmoor would make a good home base for exploring the area? (We will have a car.) I've heard conflicting reports of Chagford but am considering that town as well as Widecombe-in-the-Moor. However, I am open to any and all suggestions. I also would appreciate accommodation recommendations. One place that has piqued my interest is The Three Crowns in Chagford. Thank you!
Posted by
3122 posts
Do you mean you'd use Dartmoor as your home base for the entire Dartmoor & Cornwall area? If so, I wouldn't advise that because you'd be spending a great deal of time "commuting" westward to Cornwall.
If you are talking about a couple of nights in Chagford or Widecombe-in-the-Moor in addition to more time spent in Cornwall, that could make sense. How many nights do you have in all? What are your interests?
Posted by
Seattle, WA
16231 posts
From their query it appears they have a Cornwall town selected, so would just be touring Dartmoor from the base in that area.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
13931 posts
I stayed at The Three Crowns in Chagford on a Villages of Southern England tour in May. Here's what I put in my Trip Report:
"3 Crowns, Chagford – No elevator, no AC, no fan, steep steps up to 1st floor. I had a room over the driveway back into either a car park or delivery area so I had cross ventilation with a window in the bedroom and one in the bathroom. No fan needed for me, in fact I got cold here and had to shut windows in the night! The absolute best bed (Queen) of the whole trip. My word, it was comfortable. Nice view out the window of the cemetery and the cute 8-sided building in the square."
Since I was on a tour I was in a full-sized bus which could not park anywhere near the hotel. I did walk around the village a bit and there is not much parking anywhere altho there were a few spots between the hotel front door and the small building in the middle of the town square. I'd check on that with the hotel before you make a decision otherwise it was a neat place and I'd be happy to stay there again. Very cool hardware store which I did not have time to explore! We were there over a Bank Holiday Sunday and Monday and many things were closed. There was a small Spar grocery store that was open and a few restaurants and pubs. I'm not sure how convenient it would be to see the sights you wish to view.
Here's a google street view of the hotel. My room was the one over the vehicle entrance.
Posted by
TX, USA
4071 posts
Several years ago we stayed in Moretonhamstead at the White Hart. We really enjoyed both the hotel and the little town - ate dinner at several locations there without having to drive. Would I do it again? Maybe not. Getting in and out was slow and nerve-wracking. We drove there, Cornwall, up to Wells, Stonehenge, the Cotswolds, and much more on that trip — and everywhere seemed easy after that stretch. I research - and yet I had no idea. If you have lots of UK driving experience, you may know what you are talking about. If not, you may want to see if you can find some YouTube videos to watch before deciding. I do feel I didn’t properly get to see the park, though, because I couldn’t get my husband to keep driving further! :)
Posted by
OP
Seattle area
13 posts
Thank you for the replies! To clarify, we'll be spending several days or more in an apartment rental in Cornwall and then heading to Dartmoor National Park for another few days. I see that there are trails leading out of Chagford into the moors. If we stayed at The Three Crowns, are these trails worthwhile for experiencing the park? Or should we choose another town for this purpose? Thank you again for the hotel/town reviews, personal experiences and suggestions thus far.
Posted by
392 posts
I recently stayed on the western side of Dartmoor and was very impressed with the scenery and wild ponies! With a car you have the ability to drive straight across and into the centre but it would make sense to stay on the edge in terms of a base in my opinion. This hotel will give you good prices for Fall and has extensive grounds https://moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk/ you can visit the nearby National Trust property of Buckland Abbey where Francis Drake lived and The Garden House if you like gardens. Tavistock is close by for places to eat, I thoroughly recommend The Cornish Arms - one of the best meals I've had in a non Michelin star restaurant.