By: Blonde Two
Each summer we Blondes run our navigation and wild (backpack) camping courses from Princetown on Dartmoor. As many of you know, Princetown is the perfect base for walks on Dartmoor, and has a range of accommodation options. From bunkhouses to bivvy bags, we’ve tried almost all the Dartmoor accommodation Princetown has to offer but we were especially pleased this summer to discover one that was new to us, and different from anything we had ever tried, anywhere!
The Ramblers’ Rest in Princetown
With so much walking under our combined belts, we Blondes feel we know good walkers’ accommodation when we see it, and the Ramblers’ Rest self catering accommodation certainly ticks all of our ‘walkers need’ boxes. Here they are:
- Walkers need affordable accommodation
- Walkers love a comfy bed after a long day on the hills
- Walkers can be grubby so really value hot showers
- Walkers need food as soon as they finish their walk
- Walkers sometimes like to eat dinner in bed
- Walkers love a hot cup of tea or coffee
- Walkers need to buy ’emergency rations’
I know! That’s a lot of boxes but at the Ramblers’ Rest Nikki and Terry have done a great job of making sure all of them are ticked, as well as that all-important end-of-summer-walk special, the need to eat delicious local ice cream.
Just at the bottom of the South Hessary tor path as well!
Like a hotel but with hidden extras
The Ramblers’ Rest is a self-catering accommodation but instead of going for a communal kitchen like traditional bunkhouses (you know, the ones where you have to fish other people’s noodles out of the sink). They’ve set up a kitchenette area in each bedroom. With a sink, microwave and coffee machine, it’s possible to cook and wash up a surprisingly large variety of meals (witness the microwave stir-fried chicken meal I had to cook during DofE training because I thought the Prince of Wales bunkhouse had a hob).
During our recent stay B1 and I dined on rice, chicken, vegetables and a rather tasty spicy sauce. If we had forgotten our food (which, with me around, is unlikely) we could have purchased some emergency rations from the machine in the porch (available to passers-by) or the tiny honesty shop.
Like I said, everything we needed!
A new campsite in Princetown
With the sad closure of the Plume of Feathers pub and campsite, outdoor accommodation opportunities in Princetown have been sadly lacking but Nikki and Terry have worked fast to set up their camping area (just opposite the Plume). We had a look round, it’s small, lovely, and has hardstanding space for camper vans as well as a covered kitchen area.
I’ll be taking the camper van up for a winter stay!
Fuel up after your autumn walk
As we all know, autumn walks on Dartmoor can be pretty chilly and often damp (especially around Princetown). Which is why we think you should give the Ramblers’ Rest a try. Walk your damp socks off, check in, change into your pyjamas, cook something strange in the microwave, eat in bed (tables are available) then set off again into the mist the next day.
What could be more perfect!
September’s here – we have a few map tips to help you enjoy autumn!
