8 ***^ Sunday 1 September 2019 The Sunday Telegraph
WHAT’S SO SPECIAL
ABOUT WIDECOMBE-
IN-THE-MOOR?Well, plenty. For a start, it’s arguably
the prettiest of Dartmoor’s villages.
A photogenic ensemble of village
green shaded by oak, chestnut and
copper beech trees, a loftily-towered
church and ancient, grey-stone
dwellings, Widecombe-in-the-Moor
sits in a sheltered valley setting,
backdropped by gaunt, granite-
strewn ridges (widecombe-in-the-
moor.com).ISN’T THERE A FOLK
SONG BASED THERE?
Indeed there is. You’re thinking of
Widecombe Fair, whose lyrics tell
the tale of a group of men, including
one Uncle Tom Cobley, heading out
across the moor to the fair. Sad to
say, the old grey mare in the story
dies on the journey. But fear not, the
country fair is still very much alive
and kicking after 170 years, and is
one of the biggest annual events in
Devon’s calendar. It features the
likes of bale-tossing, sheep-
shearing competitions and
the Uncle Tom Cobley
Downhill Race (Sep 10;
widecombefair.com).WHAT ABOUT
THE REST OF THE
YEAR?For many visitors, the
village’s main draws
include scones in the
two tearooms, pints and
pub lunches in the two old
inns, and sheepskin rugs,
clotted cream Devon fudge and
Uncle Tom Cobley tea towels that
can be found in the clutch of giftDevon sent
for Uncle Tom
Cobley and all
shops. But Widecombe has lots of
history to uncover too, and much of it
can be found in exemplary detail on
information boards dotted around the
village. There’s even a panel
explaining more than you could
possibly want to know about a
lovingly-restored pig shed.ANYTHING LESS
STY-LIKE?
Absolutely. A somewhat more
impressive sight is St Pancras Church.
It’s known as the Cathedral of the
Moor thanks to its high, pinnacled
tower that was funded from tin-
mining wealth and can be easily
spotted from many miles away.
Inside, seek out the medieval rood
screen painted with saints and learn
about the fascinating coloured roof
bosses, such as three interconnected
hares with shared ears running in a
circle – a symbol also found in
non-Christian contexts.
Another must-see is the joyful
working model of Uncle Tom Cobley
and companions squeezed together on
the back of their horse.
By the churchyard’s entrance is
the National Trust’s Church
House (nationaltrust.org.uk/
the-church-house). An
unusual, 16th-century
building fronted by a
row of octagonal granite
pillars, it has served over
the centuries as an ale house,
almshouse, workhouse and
school. Now the village hall, it
holds a weekly craft market
(every Thursday until mid-
October) and a monthly
produce market (on the
last Saturday of the
month). Trust members can
also have a peek inside the
flagstoned building at other times- you just need to ask for the key in
the adjacent trust shop.
intact, the remnants of its 24 round
stone huts and circular perimeter
wall still clear to see.BUT WHAT ABOUT
21ST CENTURY
CREATURE
COMFORTS?The Rugglestone Inn is a
classic rural pub that rents
out a two-bedroom converted
barn in its garden (three
nights from £300;
telegraph.co.uk/
tt-rugglestone-inn).
There are no other
hotels to choose from in
Widecombe but there are
self-catering options and B&Bs
(widecombe-in-the-moor.com/
where_to_stay/where_to_stay.php).
The next nearest good hotel is the
Ilsington Country House Hotel, five
miles away across the moor, with
views up to Haytor.
This traditional-styled, family-run
Edwardian hotel is set in 10 acres of
grounds and provides comfy
bedrooms supplied with home-made
flapjacks, excellent breakfasts with
eggs from Ilsington’s own hens and a
smart spa with a large indoor pool
(doubles from £135 including
breakfast; telegraph.co.uk/tt-
ilsington-country-house-hotel).Fred MawerHORSE
POWER
A re-enactment
of the original
journey to
Widecombe Fairgov.uk). Two of the most famous are
under 10 minutes’ drive from
Widecombe. Haytor has perhaps the
best views of any of the moors – you
can see the sea on a clear day –
and is a 10-minute walk from
the car park. Hound Tor,
arguably Dartmoor’s most
spectacular jumble of
granite boulders, is also
an easy stroll from its
nearby car park, where The
Hound of the Basket Meals
snack van may be parked.
Follow the path through
the bracken and you’ll
soon come to the
atmospheric, mossy
remains of a long-deserted
medieval village (free; english-
heritage.org.uk). If you’re after a
panoramic view over Widecombe,
head to Bonehill Rocks, then along the
moorland ridge to Chinkwell and
Honeybag tors. A useful booklet called
Walks North Dartmoor (£2.99;
pocketwalks.com) covers all of the
finest walks, and is sold in the National
Trust shop in Widecombe.
While Haytor and Hound Tor can be
busy, head to moody Grimspound and
you’re likely to have it all to yourself –
save for bleating sheep (free; english-
heritage.org.uk/visit/places/
grimspound).
About four miles north of
Widecombe on a hillside in the middle
of nowhere, you’ll find a late Bronze
Age settlement that is remarkablyWIDECOMBE-IN-THE-MOOR
SONG LIST
Be sure to look
up the lyrics of
Widecombe Fair:
“Tom Pearse,
Tom Pearse, lend
me your grey
mare,
All along,
down along, out
along, lee,
For I want for
to go to
Widecombe Fair,
With Bill
Brewer, JanStewer, Peter
Gurney,
Peter Davy,
Dan’l Whiddon,
Harry Hawke,
Old Uncle Tom
Cobley and all,
Old Uncle Tom
Cobley and all.”READING LIST
Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s The
Hound of the
Baskervilles was
set on Dartmoor.KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Widecombe-in-the-Moor25 milesDEVONPlymouthThe
Smithy
shop has an
antique chair
said to have been
owned by Tom
YOU MENTIONED PUBS Cobley
AND TEAROOMS?
Indeed I did. The pick of the pubs is
the Rugglestone Inn, on the village
outskirts. Built as a farm in the 1700s,
it has roses around the door, ducks
and a stream in the sheltered garden,
plus three tiny low-beamed rooms.
The no-nonsense food comes in
satisfyingly big portions and is great
value – the beef and ale pie (£11) is
superb – and local ales are served
straight from the barrel (book to eat).
The spacious and efficiently-run
Cafe on the Green has been serving
cream teas for almost 100 years –
under a different name, it was the first
purpose-built tearoom to open on
Dartmoor. Scones (from £5 with tea)
are big and fluffy and there’s a goodselection of home-made cakes on offer
(thecafeonthegreen.co.uk).HOW DO I BURN IT
ALL OFF?
By climbing one or two of Dartmoor’s
characteristic tors, of course (dartmoor.GREAT BRITISH GETAWAYS
Medieval
archers
practised on
Widecombe’s
village greenGETTY IMAGES; ALAMYRELEASED BY "What's News" vk.com/wsnws TELEGRAM: t.me/whatsnws