Things to Do in Bovey Tracey: A First-Timer's Guide

Short answer: Bovey Tracey is the last proper town before the high moor. Ullacombe Farm has animals to feed for £1 a bag, Parke is a National Trust estate on the edge of town, and Yarner Wood is ancient woodland with four car parks.

The gateway to the moor

Bovey Tracey sits on the eastern edge of Dartmoor and is the last town before the high ground. That position is the point of it: the woodland below the moor gives shelter when the tops are unwise, and Haytor is a short drive up the road.

What to do

• East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve at Yarner Wood — ancient woodland with a river, grassy glades and four car parks.
• Parke, the National Trust estate on the edge of town, with Home Farm Café in it.
• Ullacombe Farm on the Haytor road — goats and alpacas to feed for £1 a bag, with indoor and outdoor seating.
• Becky Falls and Canonteign Falls nearby, both better after rain.
• Wistman's Wood out on the high moor — stunted oaks covered in rare mosses, and extraordinary in mist.

Where to eat

Home Farm Café at Parke has a genuinely good menu with several vegetarian options. Ullacombe Farm Cafe combines eating with animals for children. 3 Sixty in the town centre is a big quirky café with sofas and a magazine floor upstairs, and fast service even when busy.

The Cromwell Arms on Fore Street is the town pub, with a good beer garden and well-priced food.

Check winter opening

Several Dartmoor attractions reduce hours or close entirely between January and February. Ring before driving out.

A moorland note

The weather up on the moor changes fast and the roads are unfenced with livestock and ponies on them. In winter the light goes by four.