Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lydford Gorge
MAP
WATERFALL
(NT; 01822-820320;
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
; Lydford; adult/child £6/3; 10am-5pm mid-Mar to Sep, to 4pm
Oct; )
Three miles of trails zigzag down what is the deepest river gorge in the southwest.
Oak woods close in on all sides and the temperature drops. The riverside route leads to the
30m-high
White Lady Waterfall
, an impressive cascade that thunders down from sheer rocks.
Rugged trails also weave past a series of bubbling whirlpools; you can actually walk out
over the fearsome
Devil's Cauldron
, which seems to have been scooped out of the surround-
ing mossy rocks.
Lydford Castle
( open access)
Lydford's diminutive 13th-century castle sits in the heart of the vil-
lage. Now a compact, roofless cube, it used to double as a jail and helped make 'Lydford
Law' notorious as a 'hang 'em first, ask questions later' system.
CASTLE
Sleeping & Eating
Dartmoor Inn
( 01822-820221;
www.dartmoorinn.com
; Moorside, Lydford; d £100; meals noon-2.30pm & 6.45-9pm, plus
noon-2.30pm Sun; )
They've pulled off the ancient-meets-modern trick superbly here. Flag-
stone floors, roaring open fires and horse brasses hung from beams surround crowds of
diners tucking into elegant gastropub cooking (mains £13 to £22), while distressed fur-
niture, lavish fabrics and Roberts radios fill chic bedrooms. Irresistible.
INN
££
Castle
( 01822-820241;
www.castleinndartmoor.co.uk
; Lydford; d £60-100; meals noon-9pm; )
The bed-
rooms in this Elizabethan inn range from small and simple to spacious and luxurious -
bag room 1 for a double shower, private deck and Lydford Castle views. The bar is the ul-
timate snug: lamp-light bathes bow ceilings and high-backed benches, while the food is
hearty Dartmoor pub fare (mains £8 to £22).
INN
££
Lydford Country House
( 01822-820347;
www.lydfordcountryhouse.co.uk
; Lydford; s £75, d £115-150, f £145-155; )
Sleek
rooms dotted with gleaming, mango-wood furniture overlook tor tops while antiques and
deep sofas fill the vast guest lounge. A four-person self-catering apartment takes up the
B&B, SELF CATERING
££
