There are plenty of great pubs to visit when you are on Dartmoor and many of them are surrounded by fabulous scenery so you can enjoy a perfect panorama with you pint or prosecco. Here’s our selection of the Top Ten Pub Gardens on Dartmoor, and with the weather looking promising this Bank Holiday Weekend, now is the time to go and check some out.
Apart from having the best name – the Elephant’s Nest also has a terrific garden!
Looking out across Dartmoor with spectacular views of Brentor and down towards Cornwall it is a ‘must see’ if you are in the area. The food is top notch and it keeps a great range of real ales too.
Surely one of the prettiest thatched pubs on the moor, the Bearslake Inn also has a delightful garden with a large terrace, bordered by a stream, and with fabulous views all around. Its restaurant is renowned for quality food too.
This pretty village pub, festooned with hanging baskets, has a large lawned garden with plenty of tables for al fresco dining. A dog-friendly pub, you can be sure your pooch will have a great time too!
Set in the village of Buckland Monachorum, the Drake Manor Inn has plenty of olde worlde charm. The garden is a sheltered terraced courtyard, a great place to ponder over a pint or a Pimms in a pretty village setting.
This tiny pub enjoys the most idyllic setting just outside Widecombe-in-the-moor. Surrounded by Dartmoor hills, the garden is large and bordered by a stream, a feature popular with children and dogs alike! Good food and beer, a really special Dartmoor pub.
The Royal Oak doesn’t actually have a garden… but this free house, owned by the local Parish Council, fronts the Meavy village green and feels part of the pub. A real ‘centre of the community’ pub, it takes its name from the oak tree on the green that is reputedly some 800 years old. And on Bank Holiday Weekend it holds its very popular Wild Food BBQ and Scrumpy Cider Festival.
Set in the popular stannary town of Chagford, this pub is renowned for its excellent local beef dishes. It also has a pretty contemporary courtyard garden – a real suntrap – and is a very dog-friendly pub.
8. Warren House Inn
If you want to find a remote pub – try the Warren House Inn! Set high up on the moor the Warren House stands isolated and remote at 1425ft (434m) above sea level. The surrounding scenery is stunning and there are tables and chairs outside the pub ensuring you the most dramatic Dartmoor views as you dine!
Set in an unrivalled location in the heart of Dartmoor and on the banks of the beautiful West Dart River, the Two Bridges Hotel has plenty of garden space for you to sit and enjoy the stunning moorland scenery and listen to the sound of the river… Renowned for its food and drink, it’s a great place to visit.
The hotels sits high on the eastern flank of Dartmoor in one of the most spectacular parts, in the shadow of the iconic 1,500ft high Hay Tor. The Hotel has 10 acres of grounds for you to explore and plenty of places to sit and enjoy a meal or a drink al fresco. You could even enjoy a game of croquet!