Moretonhampstead

Moretonhampstead is a town of 1,700 people (2011) in Dartmoor, in the English county of Devon within Dartmoor National Park. Its position makes it a base to explore Dartmoor and Devon.

Moretonhampstead has a good range of sporting facilities and the proximity of Dartmoor makes it popular with ramblers and cyclists, in particular for mountain biking.[19]

Understand

Moretonhampstead from Hingston Rocks

Moretonhampstead town centre

The central part of the town stands at an altitude of 700 feet (210 m) but a short stroll within the parish will elevate the walker to beyond 1,100 feet (340 m) and afford views of the surrounding area. Moretonhampstead has four pubs and three cafes. There is a wide selection of hotels, bed and breakfast, self-catering and camping accommodation.

Get in

By car

Take the B3212 from Exeter or A382 from Newton Abbot.

By bus

359 direct from Exeter to Moretonhampstead, 5 per day (except Sunday). 173 indirect from Exeter via Drewsteignton and Chagford, 4 per day (except Sunday).

See

• 1 Almshouses, Cross St, TQ13 8NN (in front of the church of St Andrew). Grade I listed almshouses with portico - 1637 [date stone] but possibly part of the medieval hospital founded in 1451 (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Bowring Library (Moretonhampstead Library), 2 Fore St, TQ13 8LL, ☏ +44 1647 440 523. Tu Sa 10AM-noon, W 2-6PM. Grade II listed Library with beautiful facade and unusual railings (updated Nov 2020)
• 3 Dartmoor Pony Statues, Pound St, TQ13 8NX. (updated Dec 2020)
• 4 Moretonhampstead Motor Museum, The Old Bus Depot, Court Street,TQ13 8LG, ☏ +44 1647 440 636, moretonhampsteadmotormuseum@gmail.com. W-Su 11:30AM-4:30PM. £7 adult, £3.50 child. (updated Oct 2020)
• 5 Cranbrook Castle. A prehistoric hill fort. (updated Nov 2020)

Do

• Moretonhampstead has an annual carnival, held in the fourth week in August.
• 1 Hingston Down. Hingston Down is topped by Hingston Rocks 325 m (1,066 ft) high with views over Moretonhampton. (updated Nov 2020)
• 2 Moretonhampstead Swimming Pool, Betton Way, TQ13 8LG. Open May-Sep. 25-metre open-air swimming pool: heated by air source heat pumps and solar power to 27 °C. (updated Dec 2020)
• 3 Moretonhampstead World of Hair (MWOH), Moretonhampstead. A fascinating dive into the history and culture surrounding hair in the UK, this little-known attractions has hairs from famous celebrities across the South West, and also claims to have "probably fewer rats than Chessington world of Adventures". A fascinating day out. (updated Aug 2022)

Drink

Dartmoor Pony Sculpture

• 1 The Horse (The White Horse), 7 George St, TQ13 8PG, ☏ +44 1647 440 242. Tu-Sa 5-11PM (closed Su M). (updated Oct 2020)
• 2 The Union Inn, 10 Ford St, TQ13 8LN, ☏ +44 1647 440 199. M-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 11:30AM-11PM. (updated Oct 2020)

Outside the town:

• 3 Ring Of Bells Inn, North Bovey, TQ13 8RB, ☏ +44 1647 440 375, mail@ringofbells.net. Daily 10AM-11PM. (updated Nov 2020)

Sleep

• 1 Sparrowhawk Backpackers, 45 Ford St, TQ13 8LN, ☏ +44 1647 440 318. £19 dorm, £45 double. (updated Dec 2020)
• 2 The White Hart Hotel, The Square, TQ13 8NF, ☏ +44 1647 440 500, enquiries@whitehartdartmoor.co.uk. Free House Inn with drinks, comfortable sitting room with a large chess set and open fires, furnished in country hunting style. (updated Nov 2020)

Connect

As of Sept 2023, Moretonhampstead and its approach roads have 4G from EE and Vodafone, but no signal from O2 or Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• Princetown 14 mi (23 km) to the south west following the B3212.
• Chagford 4.5 mi (7.2 km) to the north west following the B3208.

Routes through Moretonhampstead

A30 ← Clagford (B3208) ←

North  South

→ Bovey Tracy → Newton Abbot