Photo © Vieve Forward, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Chagford
Chagford is a market town and civil parish on the north eastern edge of Dartmoor, beside the River Teign and about four miles west of Moretonhampstead. The 2021 census counted 1,539 people. The Chagford Local History Society says people have lived in the parish for at least 4,000 years, and that the town was probably founded in Saxon times, the name meaning the ford where the gorse grows. A market was established in the early 13th century.
In 1305 Edward I made Chagford a stannary town, where smelted tin from the north east of Devon was assayed, taxed and sold. Wool also helped the town grow. The market house in the square was where the stannary courts sat, and the present octagonal Market House (known locally as the pepperpot) was built in 1862. Dartmoor Explorations records that in 1618 an earlier market house collapsed during a court session and killed ten people.
St Michael's church was dedicated by Bishop Bronscombe on 30 July 1261 and is listed Grade I. The Three Crowns was a manor house once owned by Sir John Whiddon (died 1575) and was formerly the Black Swan. Historic England dates it as early Tudor, though Wikipedia says the oldest block is late 16th century and that some features go back to the 13th century. In 1643 the Royalist poet and MP Sidney Godolphin was shot in a skirmish and, according to Lord Clarendon, carried to the porch there. John Endecott, later governor of Massachusetts, emigrated from Chagford in 1628, and in 2015 a Sunday Times poll named the town the best place to live in the British countryside.
Chagford on the map
In Chagford
A. L. Martin & Son Butchers (Chagford)
Chagford
Traditional family butcher with shops in Okehampton and Chagford, offering locally-sourced meats, handcrafted sausages and fresh pasties since 1952.
A.L. Martin & Son Family Butchers
Chagford
Traditional family butchers on The Square, selling a good selection of locally sourced meat.
Alan Lee
Chagford
Illustrator and film designer Alan Lee moved to Chagford in 1975. Kate Greenaway Medal and an Oscar winner, known for his Tolkien art and the book Faeries.
All Seasons South West
Chagford
A team of garden landscapers based near Chagford with over 30 years of experience across Devon, offering garden maintenance, clearance and complete design-and-build projects...
Artisan the makers shop
Chagford
Established as a community interest company in August 2023, Artisan (Chagford) CIC is a retail outlet for artists and makers in Devon and the southwest.
Astor's Bookshop & Art Materials
Chagford
Independent bookshop and art-materials shop on The Square, with a personally curated range of new books for adults and children.
Bellacouche
Chagford
Yuli Somme's workshop making wool felt shrouds and the Leafcocoon soft coffin for natural burial, using British wool and natural fibres.
Bloom Hair & Beauty
Chagford
An environmentally sustainable boutique hair and beauty salon set in an old artist's studio high above the market square.
Casa Magnolia
Chagford
A women's clothing shop in the centre of Chagford offering an eclectic mix of stylish womenswear and accessories in sizes 8 to 22 and above, with a relaxed, helpful service and...
Chagfood Community Market Garden
Chagford
Chagford CSA is a community supported market garden supplying year-round Organic vegetable shares to Chagford and its neighbouring parishes. CSA simply describes a model of subscription farming where customers commit to support a farm for an entire season by paying for their produce either up front or by monthly direct debit.
Chagford & Drewsteignton Ringers
Chagford
A shared bell-ringing group for Chagford and Drewsteignton, including ringers from Gidleigh and Throwleigh, keeping alive the centuries-old art of Devon call change ringing on...
Chagford Allotment Holders' Association
Chagford
The association for the Chagford allotments, situated above the Jubilee play park along the rectory track at the top of the town, with good soil, a manure heap and a strong...
Chagford Business Association
Chagford
An association that promotes and markets Chagford and district and represents the collective interests of local businesses large and small, responding to proposals that affect...
Chagford Church of England Primary School
Chagford
Church of England primary school in Chagford serving the Dartmoor community with a focus on academic achievement and personal development.
Chagford Community and Memory Cafe
Chagford
A free monthly community and memory cafe at the Jubilee Hall, welcoming everyone on the second Thursday of the month for tea, homemade treats, activities and poetry, a friendly...
Chagford Cricket Club
Chagford
Friendly, inclusive cricket club of around 200 members playing Devon league cricket, with senior, T20, women's and youth teams.
Chagford Dental Practice
Chagford
A dental practice in the heart of Dartmoor and a member of the BDA Good Practice Scheme, offering general, cosmetic and emergency dentistry and particularly experienced with...
Chagford Eco Pantry & Foodbank
Chagford
Community food pantry and foodbank at St Michael the Archangel Church and the school, for anyone struggling to feed themselves or their family.
Chagford Health Centre
Chagford
The GP surgery for Chagford and its surrounding villages, running clinics for chronic disease management, antenatal and postnatal care, minor surgery and vaccinations, with a...
Chagford Inn
Chagford
A celebrated food-led gastropub at the heart of Chagford, serving locally sourced, seasonally inspired dishes in a relaxed Dartmoor setting.
Chagford Library
Chagford
A community library behind the Jubilee Hall, serving Chagford, Throwleigh, Gidleigh, Murchington and Drewsteignton since 1937.
Chagford Methodist Church (Providence Chapel)
Chagford
Providence Methodist Chapel, established in 1839, is one of the oldest chapels in the West Devon Methodist Circuit and the Methodist presence in Chagford.
Chagford Montessori Nursery School
Chagford
A privately owned Montessori nursery for children aged two and a half to six, in a converted bungalow on the edge of town near the primary school, with a playground, mud cafe...
Chagford Osteopathy
Chagford
An osteopathy clinic providing bespoke treatment for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, alongside sports and remedial massage, postural and workstation assessments,...
Chagford Parish Council
Chagford
The parish council for Chagford, one of Dartmoor's four ancient stannary towns.
Chagford Pharmacy
Chagford
Independent NHS community pharmacy serving Chagford, with a private consultation room and services including vaccinations, emergency contraception, stop-smoking support and the...
Chagford Recreational Trust
Chagford
A charity founded in 1984 providing sports facilities for the parishes of Chagford, Gidleigh, Throwleigh and Drewsteignton, covering cricket, football, netball, swimming and...
Chagford Show
Chagford
Chagford's annual agricultural show, held on a Thursday in the middle of August (Thursday 20 August in 2026, Thursday 19 August in 2027).
Chagford Singers
Chagford
Community choir rehearsing Wednesday evenings at the Jubilee Hall, conducted by Tina Guthrie.
Chagford Swimming Pool
Chagford
River-fed open-air swimming pool on Dartmoor, run entirely by local volunteers since 1969.
Church of St Michael, Chagford
Chagford, Newton Abbot
Grade I granite church, a complete 15th-century rebuild with a Whiddon table tomb of 1575 and the grave slab of Mary Whiddon, died 1641.
D & T Wannell Greengrocers
Chagford
Long-established greengrocer at Market House on The Square, a well-known local fixture selling fresh fruit and vegetables in the heart of the town.
Dartmoor Beef and Lamb
Chagford
Ethically reared beef and lamb, slow-grown on Dartmoor and hung by an artisan butcher. Fully traceable from field to fork with free local delivery.
Dartmoor Bushcraft
Chagford
Bushcraft and survival courses in Gidleigh Woods near Okehampton, teaching practical outdoor skills from experienced, DBS-checked instructors.
Engine house and chimney base
Chagford
The Engine house and chimney base are ruins located near Chagford in Dartmoor. These structures are examples of English vernacular architecture, built without formal training, using local materials.
Fowlers Estate Agents
Chagford
A family-owned estate agent specialising in north-east Dartmoor, offering residential and commercial sales and lettings from a prominent corner office on the town square,...
Frenchbeer Farm
Chagford
Award-winning traditional Christmas turkeys, raised on a Duchy Estate farm near Chagford for over 35 years.
Friendly Faces Enabling Service
Chagford
An enabling service providing tailored home support and companionship for older people and those living with dementia, helping them live independently and safely at home.
Globe Choir
Chagford
A warm and welcoming community choir meeting on Tuesday evenings at The Globe Inn.
Holy Family Catholic Church
Chagford
The Roman Catholic church for Chagford, part of the Diocese of Plymouth, built in the years after the parish was formed in the 1950s and served from the presbytery in Okehampton.
James Bowden & Son
Chagford
A hardware shop and moorland centre selling Dartmoor clothing and shoes, a 150 year old family business in the Square at Chagford.
Little Angels
Chagford
A lively term-time toddler group meeting on Friday mornings at St Michael the Archangel church, with pre-school fun for children aged nought to four and their carers: Bible...
Mill End Hotel
Chagford
Mill End Hotel in Chagford is a luxury country house retreat on Dartmoor, Devon. Our rooms & restaurant are family & dog-friendly, making it the perfect accommodation in Chagford, Devon.
Northmore Arms
Chagford
Traditional, largely unspoilt country pub in the hamlet of Wonson on the north-east edge of Dartmoor.
O'Brien Van der Steen Workshops
Chagford
A RIBA chartered architecture, urbanism and design studio on The Square, founded in 2015 by James O'Brien and Joseph Van der Steen.
Phillpotts' Crossing
Chagford
A modest stone memorial marking a crossing point on the open moorland, quietly preserving a local story.
Proper Job
Chagford
One of the UK's first community reuse centres, founded in 1995 on the north-east edge of Dartmoor.
Rendells Chartered Surveyors & Estate Agents
Chagford
An independent firm of chartered surveyors, auctioneers and estate agents founded in 1816 and in Chagford since the second world war, handling the sale and rental of village...
Round Ash Associates
Chagford
A Chagford-based provider of software and web solutions for small businesses for over 20 years, run by Andrew Parrott, offering website design, database development,...
Sally's Newsagents
Chagford
A charming newsagent in the heart of the town, run by Sally Perring and Martin Swift, selling newspapers, magazines, a wide range of cards, stationery, confectionery and ice cream.
Sea Vixen crash site, Flat Tor Pan
Chagford
Where Sea Vixen XN648 of 766 Naval Air Squadron crashed on 31 May 1965 after a spin from 28,000 ft. Both crew ejected and survived. The crater is now a pond among the Dartmoor Mires peat restoration works.
South Teign River
Chagford
The southern headwater of the River Teign, rising near Sittaford Tor, flowing through Fernworthy Forest and Reservoir before joining the North Teign near Chagford.
Statts House
Chagford
Crumbling stone foundations scattered across open moorland, marking where a longhouse once sheltered livestock and people on Dartmoor's windswept slopes.
Stone Lane Gardens
Chagford
Stone Lane Gardens is an enchanting 5-acre woodland gardens on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park, famous for a National Collection of Birch and Alder trees and annual sculpture exhibition.
Teignhead Farm (Ruins)
Chagford
Weathered stone ruins of a moorland farm, slowly being reclaimed by Dartmoor's granite-strewn landscape.
The Beehive Farm Shop & Cafe
Chagford
A farm shop and cafe selling homemade local produce, organic seasonal fruit and vegetables and more.
The Dartmoor Shepherd
Chagford
Sheepskin interiors and accessories handmade by us on Dartmoor, using sheepskins from our own flocks alongside 100% British sheepskins and wool.
The Joliba Trust
Chagford
A Chagford-based charity founded in 1984 by local resident Caroline Hart, supporting grassroots development with farming communities in some of the poorest areas of Mali.
The Three Crowns Hotel
Chagford
Experience the charm of our part 13th Century Inn in Chagford, Devon. A getaway that blends history with modern comfort.
The Wellspring (Dartmoor Acupuncture)
Chagford
Acupuncture clinic run by Ihsan Jean-Paul Dal Din, a British Acupuncture Council member, also offering Chinese remedial massage (Qigong Tuina), cupping and qigong.
Thrive Bushcraft
Chagford
Bushcraft and foraging courses on Dartmoor led by Alex Latham, teaching sustainable woodland living near Chagford.
Tom Foster Architecture
Chagford
An architecture practice working on new, old and historic buildings for homes and work, with particular expertise in low-energy EcoBuilding and Passive House, planning and...
Trailing Pebbles Clinic
Chagford
A holistic health clinic opened in 2021 by Rebecca and Giusi, combining Chinese medicine, acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, reflexology and reiki with yoga and movement...
Visit Chagford
Chagford
A colourful introduction to Chagford's independent businesses, artists, places to stay and local activities, helping visitors discover the town's distinctive character.
Weddings at Monks
Chagford
A wedding venue at Monks Withecombe in the Dartmoor National Park, just over a mile from Chagford.
Week Down Cross
Chagford
A scheduled medieval wayside cross of one piece of granite with very short arms, leaning on Week Down above Chagford.
Whiddons Eatery
Chagford
A small, intimate 16th-century eatery opposite the church, run by Andrew and Tina Rees.
Woodfiredhatch
Chagford
Wood-fired pizza served from a mobile hatch in Chagford Square every Thursday, 5pm-8pm, with catering for events across Dartmoor.
Woodland Springs Touring Park
Chagford
An adults-only touring caravan and camping park with glamping pods, about four miles from Chagford on the northern edge of Dartmoor.
