Discover Chagford: History, Trails and Special Experiences

Chagford combines a remarkable local history with trails through the landscape, crafts, water-based experiences and events. For planning your trip, the question is therefore less about a single highlight and more about the rhythm you want: would you like to explore the town and its buildings, follow the course of a trail or plan your stay around a particular festival?

History, market life and a guided walk

An important landmark is the Church of St Michael the Archangel. It was consecrated on 30 July 1261. St Michael’s also lies at one end of the Archangel Way pilgrimage route, which extends across Dartmoor to St Michael de Rupe at Brentor. Anyone interested in religious history and pilgrimage routes can take this connection into account when choosing excursions, without limiting their stay to a single attraction.

Chagford’s civic life is also closely connected with its square. For centuries, it was the setting for regular livestock and food markets, as well as a large part of the town’s civic life. The octagonal Market House was built in 1862 on the site of a 16th-century market building locally known as “The Shambles”. Endecott House adds to this historic picture: the listed building dates from the 15th century and has Grade 2* protection.

The Chagford Town Trail provides a guided way to get to know the town. The walk begins at the main car park near the church. This makes it possible to distinguish clearly between a day focused on history and the townscape and a longer excursion in the surrounding area.

Trails between the River Teign and Dartmoor

Several different trail ideas are available for active days out. In the Chagford area, the Two Moors Way initially follows the River Teign towards Teign Gorge below Castle Drogo. Chagford Swimming Pool is situated on the banks of the River Teign, about half a mile outside Chagford on the Two Moors Way. It is a community-run outdoor pool; at the same time, it is the largest freshwater outdoor pool in the South West and is fed by the River Teign.

Cyclists also have their own route to follow: the Dartmoor Way is a circular cycling route around Dartmoor that passes through or close to Chagford. It can be ridden in either direction, although travelling anticlockwise is recommended.

Crafts, regional produce and film

The Chagford Show brings rural traditions vividly together. Its rural crafts section includes demonstrations of spinning, thatching, basket weaving and woodwork. In the Food Hall, visitors can meet local food and drink producers and sample their products. This makes the event particularly interesting if, alongside the landscape and history, you would also like to discover regional work and flavours.

Another notable date is the Chagford Film Festival, which takes place every year in the last week of September. The programme includes a wide range of films, special guests, unusual events and practical workshops. Anyone wishing to coordinate their trip with this festival can consciously take the time of year into account as part of their accommodation planning. Dartmoor Makers offers workshops and open studio dates.

The right accommodation for your travel plans

A holiday apartment or holiday cottage in Chagford should suit the experiences you actually want to place at the centre of your trip. For travellers interested in culture, the church, Market House, Endecott House and the guided Town Trail take priority. Those planning more time for trails can include the Two Moors Way, the Archangel Way or the Dartmoor Way in their daily itinerary. Events such as the Chagford Show and the Film Festival, in turn, create their own focal points in time. In this way, the search for accommodation is not shaped by general promises, but by the question of which side of Chagford you would like to discover together.

Further places for orientation: Coffinswell, Stokeinteignhead, Talaton, Copplestone, Yealmpton, Wick, Exbourne and Westleigh.

For the overarching travel overview: Devon.