Discover Princetown: Wild Walks, Local Life and Curious History

High on Dartmoor, Princetown is a wonderfully atmospheric place to explore, with wide-open moorland, dramatic skies and plenty of character. Sitting around 1,400 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest settlements in southern England.

One of the best things about visiting is that you don’t need to spend much to enjoy it. Numerous walking routes begin in or around the village, including the old railway track, now a popular walking and cycling route, and paths leading towards the surrounding tors and open moor. The historic Conchies Road also offers a fascinating free walk through the landscape and wartime history.

After exploring, Princetown’s independent businesses provide plenty of places to refuel, browse and relax, from welcoming cafés and traditional pubs to food producers, outdoor shops and local crafts.

For 17 years, our passion project has been all about textiles, creativity, and the wonderful craft community. What started as a true grassroots venture based out of Princetown has grown into a nationwide journey. We spend much of the year traveling up and down the country, setting up at fairs and exhibitions to bring top-notch sewing and quilting supplies directly to fellow makers.

Whether you are into patchwork, dressmaking, or a bit of both, our collection is curated with an eye for quality and style. We source beautiful fabrics and unique patterns from all corners of the globe, giving you access to pieces you simply will not spot on the high street. But if you want something truly special, you will love our deadstock fabrics. Rescued directly from European fashion houses, these high-end designer remnants give luxury textiles a second life. It is an affordable, eco-conscious way to stitch runway-worthy garments and eye-catching quilts.

When we are not packing up the van for nationwide shows, you might catch us sharing tips and demonstrating our favorite wares live on the Sewing Street shopping channel. And whenever we happen to be back home between trips, we love opening our doors to the local community! Be sure to pop over to our website at WWW.sewenchanting.co.uk to check the calendar for the upcoming dates when our physical shop "pops" open for in-person browsing.

Behind every bolt of fabric is nearly two decades of hands-on experience. We are always up for a chat about your latest project, offering practical advice, or helping you match the perfect print to your next pattern.

Whether we meet you at an exhibition, tune in together on TV, or welcome you into the shop, we are so glad to be part of your creative journey. Visit www.sewenchanting.co.uk today to see where we are heading next!

Princetown is enjoying a real revival, celebrated by The Railway Ramblers’ Rest, a self-catering guesthouse in the centre of the village.

Run by Nikki and Terry, the guesthouse offers nine ensuite rooms, a studio apartment and a caravan, with room for couples and large groups. Open 365 days a year, it is a firm favourite with families needing additional accommodation at Christmas, just the place for friends and relatives when they visit.

Ramblers’ Rest boasts a gigantic hot tub with nine dedicated seats and a deep pool in the centre, and guests say the photos don’t do it justice. The outdoor kitchen, warmed by a lovely log burner, comes into its own all year, never more so than at New Year.

When the sun’s out, the couple’s sibling business, Ramblers’ Kiosk, scoops twelve flavours of Devon-made Farmer Tom’s ice cream: Lemon Meringue, Raspberry Pavlova, Double Choc, Mint Choc Chunk, Oreo, Honeycomb, Chunky Ginger, Salted Caramel, Clotted Cream Vanilla, Blackberry Crumble, Bubblegum and Cappuccino Crunch, plus a vegan coconut chocolate in pots, and you can also enjoy a range of hot and cold drinks.

Rest assured, you can always get a decent cup of coffee in Princetown. As well as the kiosk, the 24-hour porch has a bean-to-cup machine serving Tamar Koffi to the public. The guesthouse sits a short stroll from two pubs, two cafés (the Fox Tor Café and the Police Station Café), the Dartmoor Prison Museum and the Duchy of Cornwall’s new Gather & Moor. It is dog-friendly, with a drying room for walkers.

New life for the building has meant real investment: 48 solar panels, an air-source heat pump, double glazing and five EV chargers, supported by local grant funding, projected to cut energy costs by up to 75%. It has earned a Green Acorn Award two years running and a Green Ambassador role with Visit Tamar Valley.

It is rated 4.9 on Google, is a TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice winner three years running, and has won Four in a Bed.

Whether Dartmoor’s visitors are yours or just passing through, it is well worth knowing.

The Railway Ramblers’ Rest, Princetown, ramblersrest.uk

Happy Belly Bakery is a small, family-run sourdough bakery based in the heart of Princetown. We’re a team of three: husband-and-wife team Zelah and Michael, alongside our assistant baker, Freddie.

You’ll find us tucked inside the Duchy Square Centre, opposite the Visitor Centre, now home to Gather & Moor.

On 25th July this year we celebrated our first birthday, and we couldn’t be prouder of how far the bakery has come or more grateful for the support we’ve received from the local community.

We’re a 100% sourdough bakery and proud supporters of the Real Bread Campaign, a UK-wide initiative run by the food and farming charity Sustain. The campaign champions bread made without unnecessary additives, supports independent bakeries and campaigns for clearer, more honest bread labelling.

Our own journey started simply, selling bread through the side window of the bakery! In November we were given permission to open our main doors, meaning customers could finally step inside, see what we’d been baking and enjoy the smell of fresh sourdough straight from the oven.

Everything we make centres around our sourdough culture and slow fermentation. Alongside our range of sourdough loaves, we bake focaccia, sweet and savoury topped brioches, cinnamon buns and seasonal bakes. We even use our sourdough levain in our brownies and cookies, because we don’t like seeing good sourdough go to waste!

We’re open Wednesday to Friday, 10am–3pm, and Saturday, 9am–3pm.

Going out to eat? You can find us on the menu at The Dartmoor Inn at Merrivale, Lewtrenchard Manor Hotel, Eastgate Brasserie and Gather & Moor, just over the road from us.

You’ll also find our bread and bakes at local businesses in Tavistock (Country Cheeses, De La Torres and Tic Tac Tabletop), Yelverton (The Larder and The Pantry), Gulworthy (Copper Penny Farm Shop) and Okehampton (Harvest Workers Co-op).

Orders can be placed at happybellybakery.co.uk for collection from the bakery or one of our local pick-up points.

We’re still a small bakery, with plenty of early mornings involved, but we’re incredibly excited to see where Happy Belly goes next.