A pub with rooms swaps the polish of a Devon hotel for a working bar, a kitchen downstairs and a handful of bedrooms, usually four to eight. Most of the Devon inns here are old coaching houses, so expect beams, low doorways and stairs. We list eight, from a thatched longhouse on Dartmoor’s edge to a four-room Victorian inn on Exmoor.
Dartmoor edge: Bearslake and Tavistock
The Bearslake Inn is a 13th-century thatched longhouse about 2 miles south of the A30 near Okehampton. Six en-suite rooms sit above the bar, three of them fitted with extra beds for families, and the kitchen cooks pub classics from Devon farm and fishing suppliers. A gate beside the pub opens onto the Granite Way cycle path, and Sourton Tor is within easy walking distance. The bedrooms are up stairs, so it does not suit anyone who needs a step-free room.
In Tavistock, The Cornish Arms sits on West Street, once the last coaching stop before Cornwall. Its kitchen holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand and placed 10th in the 2026 Top 50 Gastropub Awards. The bar opens from midday to 11pm on weekdays and later on Friday and Saturday, so light sleepers should ask which rooms sit furthest from the bar.
Totnes: two inns on the Dart
Totnes has two inns, both a short walk from the centre. The Steam Packet Inn has six rooms above a pub on the bank, five minutes’ walk from the centre, and two rooms are sized for a family of four. Food is served from noon until 8:30pm most evenings (8pm on Sundays), the conservatory restaurant looks over the terrace and river, and parking on site is free.
The Royal Seven Stars is a 17th-century coaching inn on The Plains, run by St Austell Brewery. It has a restaurant called TQ9, a traditional Saloon Bar with a real log fire, and the bar is dog friendly. The station is under half a mile away, handy if you arrive by train. Parking is limited and first come, first served, and the rooms sit above a busy bar and restaurant. Totnes Castle is a short walk up the hill from the Royal Seven Stars.
Exeter and Topsham: river and quay
Exeter has two inns with very different feels. The Mill on the Exe, also trading as Headweir Mill House, stands by the Blackaller Weir, a 10-minute walk from Exeter Cathedral. Several rooms look over the water, there is one parking space per room, breakfast runs from 8am to 10am, and the pub is dog friendly. The building is historic and spread over several floors, so ask about lift access.
The Globe is a 16th-century coaching inn on Fore Street in Topsham, four miles from Exeter. Rooms have Vi-Spring beds and a select few take dogs, up to two per room for a fee per stay. There is also a two-bedroom apartment for families. The bar serves food from 7:30am to 11pm daily, breakfast is included, and there is a pub garden. There is no car park, only chargeable public ones on Holman Way and The Quay, so budget for that.
East Devon: the Blue Ball Inn
The Blue Ball Inn is a thatched inn in Sidford, two miles inland from Sidmouth, standing on its site since 1385. It has eight en-suite rooms, a restaurant and bar open from midday to 10pm on weekdays and 9pm on Sundays, and a rear garden. You trade the seafront for a village pub, with Sidmouth beach a two-mile drive away. Corridors are beamed and doorways low, though the inn has one ground-floor double with a wet room; confirm the route in before you book.
Exmoor: the Fox and Goose
The Fox and Goose in Parracombe is the smallest inn here, with four bedrooms, each in a different Farrow & Ball colour and each with underfloor heating and a rain shower. The bar has an open fire, breakfast is included, and the kitchen leans on local ingredients. Lynton and Lynmouth are about 4 miles away, close enough for a half day at the Valley of the Rocks, and Combe Martin beach is within reach. It suits walkers who want a fire at the end of the day, and dogs can come on request. It is not the place for a family that wants space to spread out.
Final checks before you book
Use each property page to narrow the choice, then confirm dates, price, access and any critical facility on the booking site it links to, which handles the booking and payment. Our links may earn a commission when you book.
With a pub with rooms, the bar is part of the stay. Ask which rooms sit above it and when the bar closes, especially on Friday and Saturday. Confirm whether parking is on site, and ask whether dogs are allowed in your room as well as the bar, since only some rooms take them at some inns. Check food service on your arrival night, because kitchen hours vary by day. Every inn here is an old building, so anyone who needs step-free access or a lift should ask before booking.
