GIVE ME MOOR

 GIVE ME MOOR- SPOILT FOR CHOICE

 

Although mainly travelling for pleasure these days, old habits die hard. As a professional hotel and restaurant inspector, I have sampled the full spectrum;  

eating and drinking, and staying in hotels, pubs and, on occasion, some rather dubious establishments, for as long as I can remember. 

As an occasional viewer of TV programme ‘Four in a Bed’, I do get cross with the nit-picking attitude of the combatants, where a stray hair takes on a level of importance far out of proportion. 

I am not easy to please and my list my list of must-haves is endless. In exchange for spending our hard-earned cash on a few days away from our normal daily routine, we all want different things, often at different times. 

Often when deciding where to stay we focus, wrongly to my mind, on an establishment’s star rating, or reviews on social media sites. Some of my most enjoyable experiences have been in the humblest of places. Having stayed and eaten in thousands of places over the best part of 30 years, those that stick in my memory are regrettably few and far between. 

I have never been a sun, sea and sand kind of person, and in recent months I have been overjoyed to have the opportunity to spend a good deal of time on Dartmoor. 

I find the setting of the often desolate, wild and woolly landscape of Dartmoor truly stunning in all weathers; it never fails to make me gasp in and catch my breath. 

On a good day, just an hour and a half from home, it makes for a splendid day trip, but having made the trek, I prefer to spend a little longer there; naturally I need somewhere to rest my weary head, and to nourish my greedy stomach, in addition to my soul.  

The ancient stannary and market town of Tavistock, with a population of just 11,000, makes the perfect base for getting out and about, although do be aware that parking in town can be a nightmare.  

Here are some of my favourite discoveries, all of which I have enjoyed in person over the last few months, most of which, thankfully, are open on Sunday evenings and in the early part of the week; a rare find these days.  

 

Queen’s Head,79-80 West St, Tavistock PL19 8AQ. Tel. 01822 612455 

This is a popular Wetherspoon’s pub situated on the main street. To be honest I am not usually a fan of this type of place, BUT the rooms are very well equipped (feather pillows and duvets, bottled water, biscuits, walk in shower) and excellent value for money. 

 

Cornish Arms, 15 West St, Tavistock PL19 8AN Tel. 01822 612145 

Just a hop and a skip from the Queen’s Head (with pricy accommodation) this pub is so named as it was the last coaching inn before Cornwall. Recommended by Michelin, I have really enjoyed all of the food I have sampled, using seasonal ingredients prepared with innovation. For this quality I felt that the prices were reasonable. A great British pub, serving good honest food and drink in warm welcoming surroundings. 

 

Bedford Hotel, 1 Plymouth Rd, Tavistock PL19 8BB   Tel. 01822 613221 

This classic traditional hotel right in the centre of town, is the place to be seen in Tavistock (and has parking!), and along with its sister hotel, Two Bridges (see below), has become my go-to place for a comfortable night’s stay. Overseen by Sarah Howard, who is very hands on, this is a real family enterprise, and very well run. Staff are friendly and helpful, and the food is pretty good too, especially when I can have eggs Benedict or smoked haddock for breakfast!  

 

Two Bridges Hotel, Dartmoor PL20 6SW    Tel.: 01822 892300 

This sister hotel to The Bedford is right in the heart of Dartmoor, on the banks of the West Dart River. With geese and ducks on the lawn, and a landscape of roaming sheep and ponies within touching distance, with a roaring log fire, award winning food (including pancakes by special request on Pancake Day!), and Jail Ale from their own Dartmoor Brewery, what’s not to love? 

 

Hotel Endsleigh, Milton Abbot, Tavistock PL19 0PQ   Tel.: 01822 870000 

Set in 100 acres of fairy tale gardens, woodlands, follies and grottos created by Humphry Repton, and part of the Polizzi Collection, I could not resist a little detour to have Sunday lunch. Food is beautifully prepared and pleasingly, there is no multi-course set menu; sandwiches and salads are on offer for those with smaller appetites.  

 

Horn of Plenty, B3362, Tavistock PL198JD    Tel. 01822 832528 

Here is where I took a trip down memory lane. In the early 1980s, at a time when, owned by Sonia Stevenson and her eccentric husband Patrick, this was consistently gaining awards I attended one of her residential ‘Courses for Sauces’, a wonderful experience I have never forgotten. Since then, I have been back several times, but not recently. It was like stepping back in time, as virtually nothing had changed. Although it has had several new owners over the years, the food served here continues to win awards, and their Charity Lunches at £24 for two courses are good value for money.  

 

Taylor’s, 22 Market St, Tavistock PL19 0DD    Tel. 01822 613045 

This lovely little restaurant, along with its sister establishment, Church Lane, serves imaginative food, sourcing ingredients from small, local suppliers and produce wonderful seasonal menus. Prices are moderate and the quality is consistent. 

 

Church Lane, 1 Church Lane 22 Market Street, Tavistock PL19 8AA  

Tel.: 01822 610413 

This has become one of my favourite go-to places. In addition to food served all day long, in this stunning Georgian property adjacent to the church, they have an extensive rum list, and authentic Italian style pizzas, all named after famous cyclists (30% off on Tuesdays). There are also salads, sharing boards and French crepes. 

 

Peter Tavy Inn, Tavistock PL19 9NN   Tel.: 01822 810348 

I can recall inspecting this country pub when covering the area as an AA inspector several decades ago. Clearly popular, their senior citizen lunches are available for just £8, and proved to be too much for my modest appetite. 

 

Robertson’s,4-8 Pepper St, Tavistock PL19 0BD,  

A local institution since 2006, this is the place to visit for a lazy lunch, an evening meal with family, drinks with friends or for a takeaway pizza. The restaurant is family-run and offers ‘food people can feel good about’, with an emphasis on fresh, organic and locally sourced ingredients.