EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

The main centre on the northern fringes of Dartmoor, OKEHAMPTON grew prosperous as a market town for the medieval wool trade, and some fine old buildings survive between the two branches of the River Okement that meet here, among them the prominent fifteenth-century tower of the Chapel of St James . Across the road from the seventeenth-century town hall, a granite archway leads into the Museum of Dartmoor Life (Easter-Sept Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4.30pm; Oct-Easter Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; £2; ), an excellent overview of habitation on the moor since earliest times. Outside town, loftily perched above the West Okement, Okehampton Castle (April-Sept daily 10am-6pm; Oct daily 10am-5pm; £2.50; EH) is the shattered hulk of a stronghold laid waste by Henry VIII; its ruins include a gatehouse, Norman keep and the remains of the Great Hall, buttery and kitchens.

Between late May and late September, an old goods line provides Okehampton with a useful Sunday rail connection, linking the town with Exeter via Crediton in about forty minutes. The station is a fifteen-minute walk up Station Road from Fore Street in Okehampton's centre, where the tourist office (April, May & mid-Sept to Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; June to mid-Sept daily 10am-5pm; Nov-March Mon, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm; tel 01837/53020) sits next to the museum. Alongside them lies the expensive White Hart (tel 01837/52730; £60-70), though cheaper accommodation can be found a short walk north of the centre around the station, where traffic noise from the A30 is compensated by views towards Exmoor and the outdoor heated pool at Heathfield House , the old station-master's home above the station on Klondyke Road (tel 01837/54211; no smoking; £40-50). Alternatively, opt for the more economical Meadowlea lower down at 65 Station Rd (tel 01837/53200; under £40). If you prefer rural surroundings, try the comfortable and spacious Upcott House on Upcott Hill, half a mile north of the centre (tel 01837/53743; £40-50). Okehampton's youth hostel (tel 01837/53916, ; closed Dec & Jan) provides four- and six-bed bunkrooms in a converted goods shed at the station, and offers a range of outdoor activities. As for eating , the Coffee Pot , tucked away behind the museum in Fairplace Terrace, is good for breakfasts, coffees and meals (closed eve Oct-May), while Le Café Noir (closed Sun), across West Street in Red Lion Yard, offers inexpensive lunches.