Devon is many things to many people. There are thriving cities and small, self-contained villages, working harbours and chi-chi tourism hotspots, estuaries, rivers, open countryside. And then there is Dartmoor. It was one of the first places – alongside the Peak District, Lake District and Snowdonia – to be designated a national park more than 70 years ago. But its history goes back a lot further. There are remnants of early Neolithic forests, medieval villages, Bronze Age hut circles and stone rows and a nod to its role in the production of tin and granite.
People have farmed and lived on the moor for centuries. It can still appear dark and desolate, especially with a mist hanging around the Tors, but the warm welcome from the folk who live on the moor is tangible. Nowhere is this more evident than Chagford, mentioned in the Domesday Book when the principle commodity here was sheep. It thrived over the centuries thanks to cloth mills and tin mining – along with Tavistock and Ashburton it was made a stannary town where tin could be assayed. In the Victorian era visitors began arriving to enjoy its charms - something which sustains the market town today.
We had stopped off in Chagford for lunch where a passing friendly local gave us the lowdown on the town’s pubs. We opted for the Ring O’Bells. A lovely traditional inn right in The Square. Cheery staff, proper pub grub and a nice range of local ales. They were also friendly when we returned later in the day to retrieve the shoulder bag my husband had left there – all contents intact. ‘We thought you’d be back,' laughed the barmaid.
But our ultimate destination was two miles outside the town – the Mill End Hotel on the Banks of the River Teign. In the 15th century this was a mill, with a massive waterwheel powering the stones which turned cereal into flour. It was built as a traditional Devon Long House which gives the hotel a lot of its character today. The last flour was produced in 1922 and seven years later it opened as a country hotel.
Today it has all mod cons without losing its original charm. Proper fires in the lounges, crisp white linen in the dining room and carefully curated art. In the bedrooms the style is country house chic. Staying in the Wolf suite, there were nods to the animal in the décor which blends quirky metal furniture with luxurious soft furnishings. The ambience is very restful, helped by the sounds of the River Teign rushing by to lull you to sleep.
But there is more to the Mill End Hotel than its beautiful location. They have again received 2 AA Rosettes and won Gold in the Hospitality category of the Food and Drink Devon Awards and Gold in the Taste of the West Awards Restaurant category. Devon Tourism commended them in Small Hotel of the Year and Dog Friendly Business of the Year.
Ah yes. Dogs! While not dog owners ourselves, I can see why those who are find Mill End Hotel so appealing. There are dog-friendly rooms, spaces in the hotel where dogs are welcome, doggie treats and a dog field – with Dartmoor on your doorstep too. When you return, you and your pooch can clean up in the Boot Room.
It’s not just the four-legged visitors who will be pampered. Head chef Will Broom and his small team in the kitchen look after their guests with a menu that is packed with great flavours and a lot of imagination. The menu changes daily, so if you are staying for a few days you won’t get bored.
Will grew up in Richmond, trained in Richmond and worked in London hotels before deciding to move with his partner and children to Devon. It was quite a contrast. When Will arrived he couldn’t even drive (he hadn’t needed to in London). Now his daily commute is a drive across the Moors, one which inspires him. The food he creates uses produce that grows and is farmed here.
‘When I’m writing the menu, the food is all around us,’ he says. ‘I love fishing, and I go foraging and we have the best produce here. We work in a traditional way of using everything. Suppliers give us the best of what they have which makes us think and I do get excited. There are too many things I want to do and I have to get the staff to tell me to slow down sometimes! I was taught that it is easier to add on than to take away and I work that way on a daily basis.’
The food – and dining atmosphere – are perfectly lovely. You pore over the menu in front of a fire with a drink and a nibble, then are shown to your table. A perfect mouthful of canape (I had crab on a morsel of crisp seaweed) whets your appetite for what follows. As an example of the kind of meal you can expect, I had hake brandade with a warm curry sauce followed by black sea bream with a herby risotto and crispy shreds of potato on top and a fabulous lemon sorbet with a biscuit crumb to end. It ticked all the boxes that make the MasterChef judges excited – looks beautiful on the plate, great flavours, great textures and little surprises here and there.
Breakfast is every bit as brilliantly put together, just the thing to set you up for a day on the Moors. With or without a dog.
‘We want to be welcoming and comfortable,’ says Will. ‘I think a lot of that is down to having a very happy team here.’
The hotel is open to non-residents for lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. millendhotel.com
