Princetown

The small moorland outpost of Princetown is known as the highest settlement on Dartmoor, situated roughly 1400 feet above sea level in the centre of Dartmoor National Park.  

The village has its origins in 1785 when Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, then Lord Warden of the Stannaries and Private Secretary to the Prince of Wales, leased a large area of moorland in the hopes of converting it into flourishing farmland.  

By the end of the 18th century, Tyrwhitt had established Tor Royal Farm and had nurtured a vision to tame and cultivate the open moor. He encouraged people to live in the area, oversaw the construction of a connecting road from Tavistock, and subsequently founded a small settlement called ‘Prince’s Town,’ named in honour of the Prince of Wales. 

Although livestock farming has always been an important part of Dartmoor life, Tyrwhitt’s arable farming dream failed, due largely to the harsh environment. However, he came up with other schemes to revitalise this moorland community, including the building of the prison in 1809 to house at first French, then American, prisoners of war. 

With the closing of the prison in 1816 the town almost collapsed, but Tyrwhitt’s next big project, the completion of the Princetown Railway, brought back many people to the granite quarries. In 1823, he built the horse-drawn Plymouth and Dartmoor Railroad (eventually extended into Princetown village) to take granite out of the quarries at Foggintor, Swelltor and King’s Tor.   

The Princetown railway line is now disused, but it makes for an excellent modern-day recreational route for both walking and cycling. You can even pick up the distant scent of hops as you wander along the track – a pleasant by-product of the nearby Princetown Brewery, the highest brewery in England. 

Today, Princetown is a popular destination and hub for people traversing the moors, and the sight of large groups of hikers, walkers and cyclists is especially common during the summer months. In virtually every direction you can pick up a walking or cycling route, head off to the River Dart at nearby Dartmeet or marvel at the number of tors and wild landscape.  

To really make the most of your visit to Princetown, be sure to visit their flagship National Park Visitor Centre for a wealth of inspiration and handy information. Fun fact – the centre is located in what was once the old Duchy Hotel, where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stayed and started writing his famous Sherlock Holmes story The Hound of the Baskervilles!