Short answer: Chagford is the prettiest village on Dartmoor and December suits a medieval square. The Globe Inn does the best Sunday roast on this side of the moor, and the Ring O'Bells and both cafés on the square stay open.
The Wonderworks contemporary craft fair is at the Jubilee Hall on 5 and 6 December.
Checked against the organisers' listings in late October. Smaller events are run by volunteers and can move, so confirm before travelling.
Chagford is the prettiest village on Dartmoor and knows it — a medieval square, a church with a horse and foal grazing in the yard, and granite buildings that look exactly right under a December sky.
It is a working village rather than a tourist one, so the pubs and shops are open and busy in January.
Which makes it an easy winter visit. Park once and everything is within a minute's walk, rather than strung along a valley.
2026 dates: switch-on evenings, markets and festive services are confirmed by councils and operators through October and November, and they move year to year. Check the organiser's own listing before travelling.
Ten minutes away above the Teign Gorge — the last castle built in England, finished in 1930. Dogs are welcome in the gardens and grounds. Check winter opening before driving out, and note the lanes in are narrow.
Out on the high moor and one of the last temperate rainforests in England — stunted, twisted oaks covered in rare mosses. In December mist it is the most atmospheric place on Dartmoor. It is also a proper moorland walk with no shelter, so go prepared and start early, because the light goes by four.
Nearby, dog friendly and very quiet. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and worth checking winter opening.
Book Christmas and Boxing Day lunch in November. Devon's good pubs fill weeks ahead and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.
See the full Chagford guide, filtered by who's with you.
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