Moretonhampstead

Moreton, as this little town is known locally, has long claimed the title of  Gateway to east Dartmoor, a role in which it was greatly helped by the branch railway from Newton Abbot, which operated between 1866 and 1964. This is the gentler part of Dartmoor, with many woods and plantations, and steep-sided river valleys. Within easy reach are picture-postcard villages such as Widecombe in the Moor, striking natural features like Haytor, and the remarkable Bronze Age stone hut circle at Grimspound.

The best approach to Moreton is by way of the B3212 from the southwest. From this direction you are greeted with splendid views of the little hilltop town surrounded by fields, and with the tower of St Andrew’s Church piercing the skyline. Built using Dartmoor granite during the early 1400s, the church overlooks the Sentry, or Sanctuary Field, an attractive public park. In the south porch are the tombstones of two French officers who died here as prisoners of war in 1807. At one point during those years of the Napoleonic Wars, no fewer than 379 French officers were living in Moreton, on parole from the military prison at Princetown. One of them, General Rochambeau, must have sorely tested the patience of local people. Whenever news arrived of a French success, he would don his full-dress uniform and parade through the streets.

One of the most interesting buildings in Moreton is the row of thatched Almshouses in Cross Street, built in 1637 with a striking arcade supported by sturdy granite columns. The almshouses are now owned by the National Trust but are not open to the public. Just across the road from the almshouses is Mearsdon Manor Galleries, the oldest house in Moreton, dating back to the 14th century. The ground floor of the manor is now a very pleasant traditional English tearoom. In total contrast, the remaining rooms contain an astonishing array of colourful, exotic artefacts collected by the owner, Elizabeth Prince, on her trips to the Far East. There are Dartmoor-pony-sized wooden horses, Turkish rugs, Chinese lacquered furniture, finely-carved jade – a veritable treasury of Oriental craftsmanship.

Two miles west of Moretonhampstead, on the B3212, the Miniature Pony Centre is home to miniature ponies, donkeys and other horse breeds, as well as pygmy goats, pigs, lambs and many other animals. There are pony rides for children aged nine and under, a daily birds of prey display, indoor and outdoor play areas and a cafeteria.