A day out in Chagford
Picturesque, bustling, with rolling farmland to the east and the tors of Dartmoor to the west, Chagford is a joy to visit at any time of year.
The town’s square and its narrow side streets are packed with a fantastic selection of busy, independent shops, eateries, galleries - far more than you would imagine for a small, moorland market town. Whether you’re after an original painting, stylish fashions, a bunch of flowers or a sink plunger - you’ll find it in Chagford!
And you are really spoiled for choice when it comes to eating and drinking - there are four great pubs to choose from, plus five cafés - and that’s just in the town centre!
In the square is probably the town’s most distinctive building, the octagonal Market House, known locally as the Pepperpot. Built in 1862, this was where smelted tin was brought twice a year to be assayed, stamped and sold.
And just off the square is the beautiful Endecott House, built in the 15th century and once used as a church house and village school. It’s named for John Endacott, who lived in Chagford before sailing to the New World with the Pilgrim Fathers 400 years ago and is now used as a community centre.
Chagford’s ancient church, St Michael’s, dates back to the 13th century. Visitors shouldn’t miss spotting the rare medieval painted roof bosses, including two of the ‘three hares’ - a symbol found all over the world, the meaning of which has never been definitively explained.
Eleanor Ludgate, a local artist and secretary of Chagford Business Association, has created a three hares trail leaflet with which visitors to the area can discover other places where this unusual symbol can be found.
Eleanor, who owns the Three Hares Gallery, believes Chagford is unique, describing it as a ‘gem’.
‘It’s a very special place - it’s beautiful, it’s got all these unique, individual shops like Bowdens for example, which is a real treasure, and it’s a lovely compact area to visit, it’s not spread out at all. Then you have the beautiful countryside all around it as well,’ said Eleanor.
She said Chagford also had a very busy social calendar: ‘It’s always been a busy place, there’s always something going on, whether it’s in the hall or in the pubs.’
Denise Horner from Chagford Tourist information Centre said the town definitely scores a hit with the visitors.
‘They seem to like everything - they think it’s a lovely little town. They always like the variety of shops, places to eat and the fact you can walk straight from the town centre. I’d say ninety percent of visitors that come to the centre are looking for walks.’
Chagford’s links with walkers go back a long way. In St Michael’s churchyard, there’s a memorial to James Perrott, the well-known Victorian walking guide who counted Charles Dickens and R D Blackmore amongst his clients. Perrott is best known as the inventor of the popular pastime of letter boxing.
Walking in the Chagford area is certainly great - but what about swimming? There aren’t many towns that can boast an outdoor, heated swimming pool, fed with Dartmoor river water - but Chagford can! The community-run pool, the largest of its kind in the South West, is situated on the banks of the River Teign - there is also a popular toddlers pool for the under fives.
The appearance of Chagford, with its ancient granite buildings and thatched roofs, give it that quintessential English character and sense of history that tourists and residents alike love - yet modern Chagford is ahead of many communities as an incredibly ‘green’ place, putting care for the environment at the top of the agenda. Proper Job, the community re-use centre, was one of the first of its kind to be established in the UK in 1995. And just outside town, Chagfarm is a pioneering, not-for-profit community farm run along Community Supported Agriculture lines, the risks and profits of the farm shared between the farmers and the local community.
These enterprises would not be half so successful if they did not have the backing of local people - and a sense of community is particularly strong in the town. Maybe that’s why, for such a small place, it has been able to sustain endeavours like the bi-annual literary festival, Chagword, an annual film festival that has seen Oscar-winners make their way to the little town on the moors, the increasingly popular music event Chagstock and this summer, a food festival will be staged on July 12.
So, next time you fancy a trip out - head for Chagford - you won’t be disappointed!
Jane Honey