Manaton

Manaton sits on high ground above the River Bovey, opposite the steep, wooded valley of Lustleigh Cleave, in the eastern section of Dartmoor above the gateway town of Bovey Tracey. The village splits into three parts: Water and Freeland at the bottom, and Manaton itself, with its church and cricket pitch, at the top of the hill.

On the western side of Hayne Down, close to the village, stands Bowerman’s Nose, a granite stack that local legend casts as a Norman hunter turned to stone by witches, his hounds forming nearby Hound Tor. Further tors, including Haytor Rocks and Easdon Tor, are within easy reach on foot or by short drive.

Below the village, Becky Falls Ancient Woodland Park has a series of waterfalls and three waymarked trails through streamside woodland, while Lustleigh Cleave itself forms part of the East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve, England’s first, taking in the Bovey valley, Trendlebere Down and Yarner Wood. The Kestor Inn, on the road into the village, is the local pub.

Chagford and Moretonhampstead are the nearest towns with a wider choice of shops, a short drive from Manaton by way of Bovey Tracey, useful if the cottage you book turns out to be more hamlet than village. Confirm parking at the property itself, since Manaton’s lanes are narrow and car parks are limited to the village green.