You wake up. Pull back the curtains. Dartmoor moorland stretches out in front of you. There are no buildings, there is no traffic and no noise. Just open space, ancient tors and wild ponies grazing in the morning mist. This is your view. This is why you came.
The Dartmoor Inn sits in Merrivale, right in the heart of Dartmoor National Park. Not on the edge. Not ‘near’ Dartmoor. In it. When you step out the front door, you’re already on the moor. Vixen Tor is a 2-mile walk. Staple Tor is even closer. The walks start from your room.
The Rooms
The rooms overlook moorland. You see weather roll across the tors, watch sunrise light up granite. You wake up to the view that brought you here in the first place. The peace is real as there is no traffic noise, no sirens and no streetlights. Just moorland, sky and space.
This is proper escape. Leave your phone in the room. Walk Dartmoor. Come back hungry. That’s the rhythm here.
The Fire Restaurant
Here’s what sets The Dartmoor Inn apart: it’s the only fire restaurant in a UK National Park. Not a grill. Not a ‘flame inspired’ concept. Actual live fire cooking. You watch your food cook over flames from your table.
The beef is 28-day aged grass-fed from Phillip Warrens. Traditional breed. Proper aging. It goes from Himalayan salt aging to Dartmoor stone prep to live fire. You see the whole process. The steak you ordered 10 minutes ago is charring over flames right now. This is theatre. This is why people drive hours to eat here.
The Sunday lunch was voted best on Dartmoor. It books out 3-6 weeks in advance. Grass-fed beef, proper Yorkshire puddings, triple-cooked chips, real gravy. Book ahead or you won’t get in.
The Walks
Dartmoor walks start from your doorstep. You don’t need to drive somewhere to find a walk. You’re already there. Vixen Tor. Staple Tor. Great Mis Tor. All within an hour’s walk from the inn. The South West Coast Path connects through here. The Two Moors Way passes nearby.
Walk in the morning. Come back for lunch. Walk again in the afternoon. Eat fire-cooked food in the evening. Sleep in a room overlooking the moor. Wake up and do it again. That’s the setup.
Why The Dartmoor Inn Is The Best Place To Stay On Dartmoor
Most Dartmoor accommodation gives you a base to drive from. The Dartmoor Inn puts you in the middle of it. You’re not “visiting” Dartmoor. You’re in it. The walks are immediate. The views are constant. The food is the best on the moor.
The building has history. Built in 1841. Nearly 200 years of serving travelers on Dartmoor. But it’s not trading on history alone. The fire restaurant makes it relevant now. People drive from Norfolk (5 hours) for the steak. They drive from across Devon and Cornwall. They come back.
This isn’t a boutique hotel with spa treatments and afternoon tea. It’s a moorland inn with views, walks and fire cooked food. That’s the offer. If that’s what you want, this is where you stay.
The Location
Merrivale sits between Tavistock and Princetown on the B3357. You’re 10 minutes from Tavistock, 15 minutes from Yelverton, 20 minutes from Plymouth. Close enough to civilisation. Far enough to feel remote.
The moor surrounds you. Prehistoric stone circles are within walking distance. Bronze Age settlements dot the landscape. This is old Dartmoor. This is what people picture when they think about the moor.
Where To Stay On Dartmoor and What You Get
Rooms with moorland views. The only fire restaurant in a UK National Park. Walks from your doorstep. Peace. Space. Real escape from wherever you came from. Food worth driving hours for. This is what the Dartmoor Inn delivers.
Book ahead. Weekends fill up. Sunday lunch books out weeks in advance. If you want a room with a moorland view and you want to eat fire cooked food after walking Dartmoor, call now.
The moor is waiting. The fire is lit. Your table is ready.
Book: dartmoorinnmerrivale.co.uk or call 07495 218911
