Dartmoor Pub Delights

In which we explore four cracking pubs in Dartmoor National Park.
Only another 50-or-so to do from my 'Legendary pubs of Dartmoor' book, then.

On a grey Monday morning we set off for the heart of moor, making our way first to Postbridge.

Clapper Bridge

Retired Martin often boasts of the good weather following him on his pub-ticking travels.  The weather follows me too.  Except in my case it's rain, wind and hail.
We'd walked all of 200m from the visitor centre to the Clapper Bridge before the heavens opened.
What else can you do when the weather is against you, than make for the pub for an early lunch...

Warren House Inn (Postbridge, PL20 6TA - web)
This has to be one of the countries greatest settings for a pub.
Unless you like your pubs conveniently sited between the railway station and Greggs, in which case you'll be disappointed.

The Warren House Inn sits high on the moor on the roadside of the B3212, a road which provides drivers with regular sheep hazards as it rolls through spectacular barren scenery.  In the winter the pub is prone to being snowed-in for lengthy spells, whilst in the summer crowds of walkers, cyclists and tourists are liable to descend.

The pub gets my thumbs up on several counts...
👍 Beer mats delivered to the table with our drinks.
👍 A fine pint of Black Tor 'Pride of Dartmoor' ale.
👍 A no-nonsense menu of pub grub designed for folks who've traipsed over the moors rather than rocked up for a gastro experience. 

They also have the fine tale of the pub fire that has reputedly been burning since 1845 - we checked...it was still going strong on our visit.

There is a light fire that never goes out

Located at 1,425 meters feet above sea level, on a finer day we'd be tempted by the picnic tables across the road from the pub with some lovely views...

Moving on from the Warren House Inn, we traveled eastward, making our way to the village of Hennock.
There's a reasonable road route into Hennock, but we managed to find another way via the little white lanes that Devon is famous for.  The type where your bones are shaken by the rugged surface, the hedges scrape the sides of the car, and you pray you're not going to turn a corner and meet a tractor coming the other way.

But we made it, pulling up outside the pub.

Palk Arms (Church Road, Hennock, TQ13 9QB - web)
Through the front door is a cosy bar with a wood burner in a grand fireplace and bench seating in front of the window where one local, the sole customer, sat chatting to the barman.
On the hand-pumps was a fine local trio of Dartmoor 'Legend', Bays 'Devon Dumpling' and Teignworthy 'Gun Dog'.

On recommendation from our host, we took our drinks through the back room (pool table, juke box, Motley Crȕe poster) and into the extension where the tables are set up for dining.  It may not have the charm of the front bar, but it has views.

The local CAMRA magazine which I picked up in the pub features the Palk Arms on it's cover and proclaims this the best pub view in Devon.
Perched high above the Teign Valley, it's certainly a stunning location, spoiled only by the rain clouds catching up with us and everything going dark and wet (again).

Let me leap forward one day, when you'd find us in the same vicinity and on our way to the stannary town of Chagford...

Chagford is located on the eastern side of Dartmoor, is home to around 1450 souls and to an impressive four pubs.
Our pick of the four, with a listing in the current 2021 Good Beer Guide, was the Globe Inn.

I can't offer sunny, blue sky pub pictures, but instead I can give you a picture of the Globe with added window-cleaning action...

The Globe Inn (9 High Street, Chagford, TQ13 8AJ - web)
The main bar is charming, with some lovely bench seating against the wall and another majestic fireplace.
The beer choice on offer was Otter Ale or Dartmoor Brewery 'Dartmoor IPA'.  Has to be the Dartmoor ale on Dartmoor doesn't it?

Here's the bar...

And here's some mild smut in the Gents WC...

 

The Globe served us some tasty lunch, the beer was in fine condition and the staff and couple of locals friendly and welcoming.

As we were leaving the town we realised too late that Chagford's other GBG entry, the Ring O Bells, was defying it's advertised opening hours and was not closed as all sources said it was.  Next time...

Heading into the Teign Valley, which we were high above the previous day in the Palk Arms, we made our way through worsening weather to Bridford Inn.

Bridford Inn (Bridford, EX6 7HT - web)
Our's was but a short visit, so unfortunately I have little to write about this great village local.  We grabbed a Dartmoor 'Jail Ale' and sat in the sizable bar, whilst the locals congregated in the seats by the giant fireplace. 
If finding enormous fireplaces in pubs was our mission, we were on a roll.

As we went to leave, Mrs PropUptheBar managed to lock us in instead of releasing the catch on the door.  Even the barman was struggling to get it open and it looked for a moment like we might be settling in for the evening.
On reflection, there's worse places to get locked inside.

Four great pubs - despite being scuppered by bad weather and challenging opening hours on a Monday and Tuesday.
But oh so many more to return and visit...
...as usual!