The village sits at the point where South Devon farmland gives way to open moor, which makes it an unusually easy place to start a day outdoors. You are on a footpath within minutes of leaving your room rather than driving out to a car park first.
The entrance to Dartmoor National Park is roughly 800 metres from the inn. That short distance changes the shape of a stay: an early walk before breakfast is possible, and an evening hour on the edge of the moor costs nothing more than putting your boots back on.
Cycling and fishing are both part of life around here, with lanes that run quietly between hedgerows and water within easy reach of the village. Trains at Ivybridge and Buckfastleigh open up the coast and the towns without needing the car at all.
The inn does not organise walks, hire or transport, so bring what you need and set your own pace. What we can do is point you at the right lane, hold a parking space and have somewhere warm for you to come back to.
An early walk before breakfast costs nothing more than putting your boots back on.
The southern moor is wide, weather-driven country: granite, bracken and long views that change with the hour. Routes range from gentle river paths near the village to longer days on higher ground where the ground gives no shelter at all.
Take a map, proper boots and something waterproof whatever the forecast says. Dartmoor weather has a habit of arriving from the direction nobody was watching.
Cyclists find plenty of country to work through in every direction, climbing out of the village in one gear and freewheeling back in another. The surrounding area is known for fishing, and a slow morning by water is as good a use of a stay as any summit.
Trains at Ivybridge and Buckfastleigh open up the coast and the towns, and Totnes Castle is about 12 kilometres away for an easy afternoon among old stone and steep streets.
Two nearby places worth giving a whole day to, both within a short drive of the village and both easy to combine with a slower morning on the moor. The links below lead to external destination websites and open in a new tab.
A working Benedictine monastery north-east of the village, with gardens and a church that remain open to visitors. It is a quiet, ordered place after a morning of open weather, and easily filled with an afternoon.
Visit buckfast.org.uk (external website)
A family farm attraction near Buckfastleigh, useful if you are travelling with children and want a break from the moor. It suits the sort of day where the weather has closed in and nobody fancies another hill.
Visit pennywellfarm.co.uk (external website)