Castle Inn

Low ceilings, wonky walls and open fires: the 16th century fabric of this Lydford pub does a lot of the talking. It sits in the Dartmoor National Park just off the A30, ten minutes from both Okehampton and Tavistock, and 200m from the National Trust entrance to Lydford Gorge. There are walks, horse trails and a Saxon castle next door, which the large rear garden happens to overlook.

Inside there's a main bar, a snug, a restaurant and thirteen bedrooms, plus a heated and lit stretch tent you can book for lunch or dinner. The menu runs to pub classics and British favourites built on Westcountry produce, with pizzas and brioche rolls alongside, and roasts on Sundays until 5pm. The bar is open all day, every day, and dogs are welcome throughout. Book ahead for evenings and weekends; call for twelve or more.