Byleat on Dartmoor

All around lies evidence of man's attempts to live, exploit or make a living from these dramatic granite uplands. Innumerable hut circles, standing stones, barrows, crosses, stone rows and hill forts provide plentiful evidence of pre-historic settlements. In addition, scars across the landscape indicate mining activity from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the last century for lead, copper, manganese and especially tin.

Today, Dartmoor is farmed and you will see cattle, sheep and the distinctive, small but hardy Dartmoor ponies grazing the open moor. Several rivers, including the Dart rise and their wooded valleys provide superb walking and nature watching opportunities, while the small hamlets and villages will give you a unique insight into moorland life.

Flight to Bristol, Exeter or Bournemouth. Drive to Yelverton. You will stay at the beautifully spacious country house 'Byleat on Dartmoor' within the Dartmoor National Park situated between Plymouth and Tavistock offering unusually luxurious accommodation with a standard of service rarely found in a Private House. Champagne Cocktails and Dry Martinis to die for! Celebrate your arrival with a complimentary cocktail or a glass of wine. Luxurious bedrooms - private bathrooms all feature glorious Dartmoor views over Ringmore Down. The gardens can be enjoyed with its host of birds and visiting woodpeckers. All meals - only the best of locally sourced West Country fresh produce with vegetarian alternatives - at 'Byleat on Dartmoor' are served in a magnificent 17th/18th Century Dining Room.

Visit Buckland Abbey in Yelverton associated with Elizabethan seafarers Drake and Grenville and tour the house and gardens. The Abbey is a 700 year old building with a fine 16th century great hall. Explore Tavistock. This old stannary town was once the world’s major copper producing area. There is a charming country atmosphere in the town with its pannier market and many old fashioned specialist shops. KellyCollege, Tavistock was a filming location for MilesCameron.

Continue your journey over Dartmoor to Widecombe in the Moor, known as the Cathedral of the Moors.

 

Head across wild expanses of open moorland to the High Moorland Visitor Centre in Princetown. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote part of The Hounds of the Baskervilles at the Duchy Hotel at Princetown (now the High Moorland Visitor Centre) looking out over the moor and the grim grey hulk of Dartmoor Prison. Taken on a tour by a local man called Henry Baskerville, Conan Doyle began to weave moorland landmarks and names into the novel's fabric - the Foxtor mires and the Grimspound hut circles became the treacherous Grimpen Mire and the prehistoric huts which feature in the adventure.

Start your day heading out towards Plymouth, a city of contrasts. Plymouth is a vibrant and nautical metropolis, you can shop in the city centre shopping boulevards or visit Plymouth Hoe or the Mayflower Steps in the Barbican with its maritime tradition. Here simply relax, eat at one of the many alfresco restaurants on the waterfront and enjoy the stunning views across the harbour.

 

Pay a visit to a superb National Trust property just outside Plymouth. Saltram House - Saltram stands high above the River Plym in a rolling and wooded landscaped park. The gardens are predominantly 19th-century and contain an Orangery and several follies, as well as beautiful shrubberies and imposing specimen trees.

Cotehele House, built by the Edgcumbe family in the late 15th century, stands at the head of a valley garden dropping steeply to the River Tamar. Exotic and tender plants thrive in the mild climate and there is something to see throughout the year, with rhododendrons and azaleas a highlight. Medieval stewpond and 15th century dovecot. More formal gardens surround the Cotehele House, including terraces whilst in the springtime the meadow beyond the north-west tower is carpeted with daffodils. A a lovely property and well worth seeing!

 

Drive to Chudleigh, a charming town close to the edge of Dartmoor. Narrow lanes and passageways lined with quaint old cottages are a feature of the town, which boasts a good network of footpaths. Once in Chudleigh you can visit The Rock Garden Cave & Nursery - Where you can experience lovely views across rural Devon to Dartmoor, in this unique hidden garden with ponds, cliff walks and illuminated cave.

Drive to the ancient market town of Kingsbridge. In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the town of Kingsbridge is made up of two medieval towns the other being Dodbrooke (originally a quarter of a mile apart). Whatever your interests - beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, fine food, walking or sailing this area has it all and more.

 

Along the coast is the modern seaside settlement of Bigbury on Sea where the beach is one of the finest in Devon. At low tide discover BurghIsland where the famous murder mystery writer Agatha Christie wrote 'Evil under the Sun & And ten there were None'. The island is linked to Devon with a tidal causeway, and houses an unusual romantic art deco hotel and the Pilchard Inn - said to be haunted by the ghost of a smuggler.

Take a guided tour of Mount Edgcumbe House and talk a walk through the magnificient Country Park. Mount Edgcumbe has been famous since the 18th Century for its landscape and gardens. Individual trees and plantations are placed to enhance a magnificent setting above Plymouth Sound and the River Tamar.

 

Take a flight with a hot air balloon over the beautiful Devon countryside before you make your way home.

Drive to Bristol, Exeter or Bournemouth airport.