Bovey Castle

About Bovey Castle

Bovey Castle is not really a castle but an Edwardian country house, built in 1907 for W H Smith's heir and later run as a railway hotel. It stands in 275 acres of estate in the Bovey valley, inside Dartmoor National Park and about a mile from the village of North Bovey. The scale of the place is what strikes you first: long panelled corridors, a great hall with an open fire, and terraced lawns running down towards the golf course and the river.

There are 59 bedrooms split between the main house and a mews building across the courtyard, plus 22 self-catering lodges on the estate. Main house rooms range from comfortable doubles to very large suites with roll-top baths and lounge areas, and many look out over the valley. The mews rooms are quieter and better value, and the lodges work well for families or groups who want their own kitchen.

Facilities cover more ground than most Devon hotels manage. There is an Elan spa with an indoor pool, sauna and treatment rooms, two restaurants, a bar and a smoking room, and an 18-hole championship course designed by J F Abercromby. The estate also runs falconry, clay shooting, archery, off-road driving and fly fishing, most of which can be booked on the day. Afternoon tea in the great hall is something of an institution.

It suits families and groups more than the average five-star hotel, partly because there is so much for children to do and partly because the grounds absorb people. Golfers and walkers get the most from it, with Haytor, Widecombe and the high moor all within a short drive. It can feel busy at weekends and during school holidays, so midweek stays are calmer.