Dog Friendly Chagford: Where to Eat and Walk

Short answer: Both pubs on Chagford's square take dogs, and so do both cafés. Castle Drogo ten minutes away welcomes dogs in its gardens and grounds, and the Hunter's Path up from Fingle Bridge is the walk worth doing.

A village built for this

Everything in Chagford sits on one medieval square, and almost all of it takes dogs. Park once, walk the moor, come back and sit down without anyone having to wait outside. For a dog-owning visitor that is a rare combination.

Where to walk

The classic

Park at Fingle Bridge and take the Hunter's Path up through the Teign gorge to Castle Drogo. It is the best walk on Dartmoor's eastern edge, it makes a proper morning of it, and dogs are welcome in the castle's gardens and grounds at the top.

The others

• Dartmoor itself — open access land starting minutes from the village.
• Wistman's Wood on the high moor — stunted oaks covered in rare mosses, extraordinary in mist.
• Stone Lane Gardens — dog friendly, very quiet, with a summer sculpture trail. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Becky Falls — waterfall walks through ancient woodland.

Where to eat with a dog

The pubs

• The Globe Inn — the heart of the village, and the best Sunday roast on this side of the moor.
• Ring O'Bells — a proper local on the square, hearty food and a good beer list.

The cafés

• The Old Forge Caffè — the breakfast stop after a moor walk.
• The Birdcage — sourdough, quality sausages and scones that get singled out.

On the moor with a dog

Livestock and ground-nesting birds mean leads in the open. The lanes around Chagford are narrow and unlit, and ponies and sheep wander onto the moor roads — drive slowly, especially after dark.