Short answer: Okehampton Castle is the largest castle ruin in Devon, set in woodland by the river. The high moor starts at the edge of town — but check the military firing times and start early.
Dartmoor, free and vast. Okehampton gives access to the highest, wildest part of the moor — High Willhays and Yes Tor, the highest ground in southern England.
Bellever Forest, south on the moor — forestry tracks, a clear shallow river and wild ponies. Trees take a surprising amount of weather out of a walk, and the ground is kinder underfoot than open moor in December.
Okehampton Castle sits in woodland by the river — a Norman motte-and-bailey later rebuilt as a fortified manor. It closes over Christmas, but the woodland and riverside walk around it does not.
The high moor. Check the military firing times before going up, take a map, and be honest about the daylight — it goes by four.
Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.
The Dartmoor Line runs from Exeter, and Okehampton Interchange opened in August 2026 with a 200-space car park two minutes from the A30. Boxing Day rail services are heavily reduced nationally, so check — but the Interchange car park makes driving and parking easy regardless.
One Dartmoor warning that matters more on Boxing Day than any other day: the roads are unfenced with ponies and sheep standing on them, the weather turns fast, and the light goes by four. Start early and tell someone where you are going.
If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The places that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.
See the full Okehampton guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Okehampton →