The Best Pubs Around Totnes, Dartington and Buckfastleigh

The best pubs near Totnes share a few honest qualities. They keep proper beer, they take their food seriously, they have a fire that someone actually lights, and they sit somewhere worth the drive. The Dart Valley runs north from Totnes through Dartington toward Buckfastleigh and the edge of Dartmoor, and there is a strong cluster of inns along that line, plus a handful of riverside and country pubs in the surrounding parishes.

This is the working list, with notes on what each does best, rough food prices, and whether you can bring the dog or park easily.

In Totnes Itself

The Bull Inn on Rotherfold Square is the obvious anchor. Fully organic, Soil Association five-star, daily-changing veg-first menu, with rooms above. The front bar gets a proper buzz on weekend evenings; the dining room runs at a slightly quieter pace. Mains £18 to £26 (££ to £££). Book ahead. Dogs welcome in the bar.

The Royal Seven Stars at the bottom of The Plains is the grand coaching inn, with two bars, a terrace and a hotel above. The Brasserie does straightforward modern food (mains £15 to £24), the front bar is a good pint stop, and the terrace is in the sun from mid-afternoon. Dogs welcome in the bar areas.

For riverside drinking, the Steam Packet is five minutes’ walk from the High Street, right on the Dart. Conservatory dining room with a terrace, six rooms above, free parking on site, dogs welcome in the bar and on the terrace. Mains £14 to £22.

Dartington and the White Hart

The White Hart Inn at Dartington Hall sits on the medieval estate north of Totnes, in a feasting hall built between 1388 and 1400. Sunday roasts in the great hall under a sixty-foot beamed ceiling are one of those experiences worth driving for. Seasonal menus, local ales, mains £14 to £24 (££). Dogs welcome, walkers welcome with muddy boots, terrace tables on the Great Lawn in summer. Free parking on the estate.

A short distance away, the Cott Inn at Dartington claims to be the second-oldest inn in Britain (founded 1307), with thatch, inglenook fires and five rooms above. The kitchen won Overall Pub of the Year and Pub Garden of the Year in 2024. Mains £15 to £25 (££). Dogs welcome in the bar. Book ahead for weekend dinner.

Toward Buckfastleigh and Dartmoor

Out toward Buckfastleigh and the edge of Dartmoor, the pubs get smaller and the lanes get narrower. The Abbey Inn at Buckfast sits beside the river just below Buckfast Abbey, with a beer garden that runs down to the water. Straightforward pub food, mains £12 to £18 (£/££). Family-friendly, dogs welcome in the garden.

The Tradesman’s Arms at Scoriton, on the edge of Dartmoor proper, is a small village local with a proper landlord, good ales and walker-friendly food. Mains £12 to £18. Limited parking outside; dogs very welcome. It is the kind of pub you find by accident and remember for years.

For a longer drive, the Rugglestone Inn at Widecombe-in-the-Moor (about thirty minutes from Totnes) is worth it. Cob walls, slate floors, beer poured from the cask by gravity, and a moorland setting that does not feel touched by the twenty-first century. Pub food £12 to £18.

Around the Dart Villages

Half a mile south of Ashprington, the Waterman’s Arms at Bow Bridge is a seventeenth-century inn on the Harbourne River, owned by Palmers Brewery, with three of their real ales on. Sunday roasts and fish dishes are the standout. Mains £14 to £22. Dogs welcome in the bar but not the restaurant. Fifteen rooms above if you want to stay.

At Stoke Gabriel, the Church House Inn sits in the centre of one of the prettiest Dart villages, a five-minute walk from the millpond. Cosy bar, decent kitchen, mains £13 to £20. Dogs welcome. Combine with a riverboat trip from Totnes Quay in summer and you have a perfect afternoon.

At Tuckenhay, the Maltsters Arms sits on Bow Creek with its own terrace tables right above the water at high tide. Local seafood, good beer, a faintly bohemian feel. Mains £14 to £24. Dogs welcome.

How to Plan a Pub Crawl Properly

The best pubs near Totnes are not all walkable from each other, but several practical pairings work. The town crawl: Bull Inn for a pre-dinner drink, dinner upstairs, then a nightcap at the Steam Packet by the river. The Dartington loop: lunch at the White Hart, walk the estate gardens, evening drink at the Cott Inn. The Dart villages drive: morning at Sandridge Barton for wine, lunch at the Maltsters at Tuckenhay, late afternoon at the Waterman’s Arms at Bow Bridge.

If you are driving between pubs, plan a designated driver or use Totnes Taxis (call from the rank by the station). The lanes are unforgiving after dark. If you prefer to stay walking distance from your pint, our piece on where to stay in Totnes covers the rooms above the best of these inns.