The Whitchurch Inn

Doors opened here in 1820, when this was a coaching inn catering to travellers hauling between Plymouth and Exeter, and later a gathering point for the tin and copper miners of Victorian Whitchurch. Two hundred years on, it is family-run and still very much a village pub: neighbours catching up, walkers warming their boots by the fire, regulars and first-timers sharing the same room. Traditional character intact, without the museum-piece treatment.

The head chef cooks pub classics with a modern turn, making nearly everything in-house from produce sourced within 30 miles of Tavistock where possible. Menus shift with the seasons, or simply when inspiration strikes, so expect the board to move. Behind the bar there are local real ales, wines and premium spirits, with local breweries and distilleries favoured. Regular events and charity nights fill the calendar. If you want a table within the next 48 hours, ring rather than message.