South Brent

Standing on the southern flank of Dartmoor, just within the National Park, South Brent is a sizeable village of some 3000 souls. Set beside the River Avon, it has a 13th-century church with a massive Norman tower. This was once the main church for a large part of the South Hams, as well as a considerable area of Dartmoor. Alongside the River Avon are some attractive old textile mills recalling the days when South Brent was an important centre for the production of woollens. In Victorian times, one of the mills was managed by William Crossing whose famous Crossing’s Guide to Dartmoor provides a fascinating picture of life on the moor in the late 1800s.

In the days of stagecoach travel the town was a lively place with two posting houses servicing the competing coaches. It was said that four horses could be changed in 45 seconds and a full-course meal served in 20 minutes. The most famous of the coaches, the Quicksilver, left Plymouth at 8.30 in the evening and arrived in London at 4pm the following afternoon – a remarkable average speed of 11 mph, including stops.