The Dartmoor visitor centre at Princetown will close for the final time today, Friday 31 October amid fears for the local economy.

Due to rising costs and reduced government funding, Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) previously confirmed it will not renew the lease for the centre with owners the Duchy of Cornwall, located in the former Duchy Hotel.

The centre has served as an information and exhibition space since 1993.

Businesses have warned the loss of the centre will harm the village economy because it attracts visitors such as tourists, shoppers, trekkers and others who stay in the hotels and guest houses and use the cafes and pubs - all drawn by the wild landscape.

The village business community, the parish council and the Duchy have been researching possible news uses with income generation potential.

Kevin Bishop, chief executive of DNPA, said: “This is a sad day. Over the years, we’ve worked hard to explore a wide range of options aimed at securing the future of the visitor centre or providing a new use of the building that would support the local economy.

“Despite our best efforts, the scale of the funding challenges we face left us with no alternative.

“We’d like to thank our hard-working centre staff over the years for the warm welcome they’ve given to people who visit Princetown as part of their Dartmoor experience.”

The focus is now on ensuring a smooth transition back to the landlord, the Duchy of Cornwall, before the lease expires in March 2026.

The park authority continues to operate visitor centres at Haytor and Postbridge.

He said the DPNA ‘remained committed to protecting nature, increasing access to the outdoors and helping people enjoy Dartmoor's unique heritage’.

DPNA is working on Dartmoor’s Dynamic Landscape, a National Lottery Heritage Fund programme aiming to make Princetown one of three ‘hubs’ where people can connect with the Dartmoor.

Dartmoor and the other national park authorities receive a grant for their core funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) each year.

Over the last 15 years, these grants have declined sharply. On average across England’s 10 National Parks, the value of these grants has fallen by 15% between 2010 and 2025.

Factoring in inflation, it equates to a 40% reduction in real terms across England’s National Parks. Changes to employer National Insurance contributions have also had an impact.