Where to stay? - Dartmoor Letterboxing Archive

TeamKing

2007-12-13 15:47:51

Can someone give some recommendations of places to stay where you can walk directly onto the moors to some good box areas? i.e. no driving involved

Thanks!

moorland wizard

2007-12-13 16:02:33

depends if you want luxury or not. if you look on here there are a few threads on places were to stop

TeamKing

2007-12-13 16:23:22

Need the creature comforts. Not looking for camping or bunkhouse options. Just a nice place with rooms & food.

I'll dig around some more in the forums but didn't see a lot. . .

tomp

2007-12-13 17:37:11

The Two Bridges Hotel always looks nice from the outside, although i've never been in. Hmm...it has some pretty dodgy reviews on tripadvisor.com (someone visiting last month said it was "gloomy and overpriced!"). Has anyone been to the Hunter's Lodge in Dartmeet? There's only one review on Tripadvisor, but it's pretty positive...

moorland wizard

2007-12-13 17:45:11

I know there is a box near the two bridges.

It also depends on which part of the moor you want either north or south moor. Most pubs have rooms for the night/weekend or there is also a caravan park near widgey cross where we meet some people and they side it was alright. with a pub 100 meters away

Nik - KOTM

2007-12-13 19:37:32

Plume of Feathers - Princetown
The Two Bridges Hotel is a bit pricey and you have to walk miles to find any boxes where as Princetown is within reasonably easy walking distance of Pew Tor (follow the track) and south to Fox Tor and around there (if you are quick enough you could even make it to Ducks Pool

Jones family on tor

2007-12-13 19:58:26

Nik - KOTM wrote:Princetown is within reasonably easy walking distance of Pew Tor (follow the track) and south to Fox Tor and around there (if you are quick enough you could even make it to Ducks Pool

Hello Nik,
Sorry to pull you up as you obviously are much more Knowledgeable on Dartmoor than myself but is this not a little misleading? I think of the track as the old railway is it not the Dartmoor way footpath that leads to Pew Tor.
If I am incorrect please say so and I shall stand corrected

Nik - KOTM

2007-12-13 23:43:35

You are correct in your assumption the Railway track does not actually go to Pew Tor but it isn't all that far from it after all it is only a short hop across from there... and a plethera of boxes to be found up there too

Generation Gap

2007-12-14 13:30:48

Hi, TeamKing

We stayed at The Forest Inn, Hexworthy, a couple of weeks ago. Posted a comment elsewhere on the forum, copied below:

"Hi, all!
The Forest Inn, Hexworthy - recommended to all; good food, good company, friendly staff, good value. Many thanks Mr Cock & Mrs Chicken for the info. (see you have been there a few times, by the letterbox book in the bar).

Maybe it's worth compiling a list of recommended (or not!) places on Dartmoor - hotels, B&Bs, pubs, camping, cafes, etc. together with prices. What do you think? "

Re. access to good letterbox area - we did a few grids to the south of the Inn, but didn't find too many. There are quite a few within a short driving distance.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Generation Gap
(Howard n Sue)

cranmere

2007-12-20 23:32:33

The Two Bridges used to be good before they got delusions of grandeur, did away with the pub and raised their prices. I haven't been back since they were extremely rude to us whilst fawning all over the group of suited businessmen, presumably because they thought they could get more money out of them.

Mr Cock & Mrs Chicken

2007-12-22 08:22:32

Agree wholeheartedly with the above two posts!

cranmere

2007-12-22 13:10:29

The Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale is pleasant, clean and serves good food. We tend to camp up at Princetown outside of the main tourist season (it gets pretty noisy sometimes if there are a lot of students and 'yoof' up there).

Pat

Blinch

2007-12-27 11:57:15

Hi,
Sorry - have been away for a long time.

We like the Beechwood, a B&B at Postbridge - good value and friendly and pretty central.

Bunnymummy

2008-02-25 22:04:41

There is a good camp site on pork hill just under Cox Tor that looks good, and walking distance from the moor and the very good boxing location of Pew Tor.

Riverside camp site near Mary Tavy is good too thats if you like tenting it! I love it.

Fox & Hounds also have a bunk house I think?? near some very good boxing country (63 in one day with no clues!) them were the days

TeamKing

2008-04-17 22:57:23

Just a follow-up on my initial post for anyone following this thread in the future. . .

Since I was looking for a decent hotel with ammenities, ended up trying the Moorland Links Hotel in Yelverton. Great location and easy to find. Can also walk from the hotel - can't report if any boxes are close as I didn't have a catalog on me, but there were nearby caches so I assume probably boxes not too far away.

Anyway, I liked this place and will probably use them again. Double room was 55/night but room size was like a US hotel size - good! - with private bath and TV and the usual hotel comforts (buffet breakfast, bar, room service, housekeeping, etc.)

They didn't even look at me too oddly when I walked in from a heavy rain filled boxing trek looking like some drowned pitiful creature and lugging my soggy backpack and gear.

John

2008-04-18 16:25:05

TeamKing wrote:Since I was looking for a decent hotel with ammenities, ended up trying the Moorland Links Hotel in Yelverton. Great location and easy to find. Can also walk from the hotel - can't report if any boxes are close as I didn't have a catalog on me, but there were nearby caches so I assume probably boxes not too far away.

Depends on what you mean by 'close'. If you mean the moorland right outside the hotel, then no I don't think there are any boxes there (that area is a frequent dog-walking haunt for us). The nearest would have been "Moorland Mole" near the golf club house, but I think that has now gone (the box, not the club house!).

Stayed at the moorland links on the first night of my honeymoon (decades ago!) - we had the novelty of a four-poster bed in our room!

The area is great for a nice quiet (i.e. no people) evening walk, and you get to see some gorgeous sunsets to the west.

John.

Anonymous

2009-04-13 10:20:08

cranmere wrote:The Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale is pleasant, clean and serves good food. We tend to camp up at Princetown outside of the main tourist season (it gets pretty noisy sometimes if there are a lot of students and 'yoof' up there).

Pat

We used to stay at the Dartmoor Inn too and is was always very good, even when we didn't stay there we used to call in for a great mixed grill and a pint or two before heading back to the campsite at Harford Bridge.

Anonymous

2010-02-17 23:33:41

Hi everyone.

My girlfriend, the dog and I all recently stayed at the Forrest inn, Hexworthy. Really great pub and hotel, I can't reccomend it enough.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, the food was great, as were the rooms. We were quite late back one evening and they had already started to phone round the local pubs to see if we had been seen and if we were ok. We had walked almost 30 miles and it took a bit longer than expected.

Very dog friendly place. Your dog is allowed to stay in your room with you.

All in all it was a very good experience.

Station Master

2010-02-18 13:51:00

I know a place on Bodmin moor, but no boxes.

The_Tailchaser

2010-02-23 06:26:27

Do you mean you know a place on Bodmin Moor but no boxes nearby?

Station Master

2010-02-23 11:06:32

Letterboxes are on Dartmoor.

There are Geo-Caches on Bodmin Moor.

2010-02-23 13:12:35

There are plenty of letterboxes on Bodmin moor also.

Station Master

2010-02-23 16:10:21

THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE TO FIND DARTMOOR LETTERBOXES AND THAT IS DARTMOOR!

2010-02-23 17:09:02

You are right that DARTMOOR letterboxes are found on dartmoor, but not ALL boxes are found on Dartmoor!

It seems you that a lot of your posts are done in a manner only to aggrivate people and is extended in the use of caps!

If you want to comment on Dartmoor letterboxes specifically then I suggest a comment of "Letterboxes are on Dartmoor" state so as this is clearly a hobbie that is worldwide including many walks on Bodmin moor.

The_Tailchaser

2010-02-23 20:28:04

Station Master wrote:I know a place on Bodmin moor, but no boxes.

We are all aware that Dartmoor letterboxes can only be found on Dartmoor, it ain't rocket science is it? Maybe you are not aware that there are just as many letterboxes to be found in the New Forest and yes there are letterboxes on Bodmin Moor. In fact there are letterboxes all over the world. I have some copies, from Snowdonia, to the Canaries, even Hawaii. They are all found in containers and have a stamp and a vistors book. Letterboxes that we call ' out of area boxes'.

The Wandering Artist

2010-02-23 21:32:53

KK and Tailchaser (and SM)

Nice to hear from you again.

You are wasting good post with SM. Something of a wind up merchant who, it seems, has a sad life of using the forum as a way to talk to others.

Is Bodmin anywhere near Dartmoor??(Ha!)

TWA

Station Master

2010-02-23 23:47:34

I am no wind up merchant, and I know that there are boxes all over, just trying to be on the right side of the DARTMOOR LETTERBOXING FORUM, when I bought up Geo-cacheing a while ago, people did the same to me. I mean no harm. And yes the last 3 days I have had a sad life unable to even go for a walk around the block due to a long term illness.
And please do not judge me when you do not even know me.
I think a lot of us here have a wind up on here sometimes its all part of the fun.
Also there are a lot of helpful posts on here.

The Wandering Artist

2010-02-24 20:13:42

SM
We all have a cross to bare!

After my accident in 2000 it virtually stopped all my walking on Dartmoor for seven years! I did manage a few walks of short distances with unwavering help of my wife (and son in law at New Years Meet)and some close to the roads letterboxing.Lately I have managed some walks but it has taken a lot out of me and 4-5 days to recover.

I have arthritis in both feet and knees - and awaiting knee joint replacement operations - particularly the one damaged in the accident.

At 64 years that is a lot to bear!

Stop your winging and get a life!

Frank (TWA)

Station Master

2010-02-24 20:34:13

I do not moan, I just replied to you post.
When you point a finger at someone there are four pointing back to you!

Damdamdam

2011-09-21 18:23:45

Hi - I'd like to resurrect this thread. I hope to go boxing on Dartmoor this autumn.

I'll be alone and carless, and I'm not an experienced wilderness walker. I'd like to stay somewhere I can get a taxi to from Exeter (I guess that would be most places...?) and can walk to some good boxing spots from.

I'll look into the places already mentioned here, but any other recommendations or updates will be greatly appreciated!

Dartymoor

2011-09-21 20:52:41

Hi DDD.

Hexworthy, Forest Inn - there is some nice boxing on the doorstep there. Taxi might be cheaper from Newton Abbot if you're coming by Train, but probably not much in it.

Also Two Bridges and Postbridge - both good spots for boxing with nice pubs. My friends recently stayed at the latter and one came back pregnant - not sure if that's an endorsement for letterboxing though...

Princetown of course. Central to everywhere there.

Moretonhampstead and Bovey both have a wider selection, but you'll need some transport to get out on the open moor.

Others have commented on quality, but to be honest I would be happy to stay at any of the main dartmoor known pubs.

Colin

2011-09-21 21:14:16

Hi DDD
A taxi will certainly cost, it may be worth checking out the local buses, they do run just quite infrequently

Colin