What Is There to Do in Tavistock on a Sunday?

Short answer: Sunday is the quiet day here, because the Pannier Market runs Tuesday to Saturday. What is open: the Meadows park, the moor, Buckland Abbey and the pubs — and the Cornish Arms does near-Michelin cooking at pub prices.

The thing to know first

Tavistock's Pannier Market runs Tuesday to Saturday, so the town's main attraction is shut on a Sunday. That makes Sunday the quietest day of the week here — the opposite of most coastal towns.

It also makes it the easiest day to park centrally.

What is open

• The Meadows — a large free park between the River Tavy and the canal, with a zip wire, playground and BMX pump track.
• Dartmoor, which starts at the edge of town and is free.
• Buckland Abbey, twenty minutes south — Francis Drake's house, dog friendly in the grounds.
• Lydford Gorge, fifteen minutes north.
• The pubs and restaurants, which are the real Sunday draw.

Sunday lunch

The Cornish Arms does near-Michelin cooking at pub prices and takes dogs in the bar — the standout in Tavistock and worth booking. The Annex on Drake Road is the highest-rated restaurant in town. Granito Lounge on Brook Street is the relaxed all-day option, open nine till late.

A moorland Sunday

Bellever Forest on the high moor has marked trails, a shallow river and wild ponies, with toilets and a coffee trailer, and parking around £5 for the day. It is the easy version of Dartmoor and it works with children.

In December

The Pannier Market opens on some Sundays in the run-up to Christmas, and the Tavistock Christmas Festival falls on Sunday 6 December 2026. Check the town council listings for the extra December dates.

Parking

The Meadows is free and a short walk into the centre. On a Sunday the town car parks are the quietest they get.