In short
The best pubs with rooms in Devon include The Salutation Inn in Topsham, the Ring of Bells in North Bovey, The Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh, the Masons Arms in Branscombe, the Bearslake Inn at Sourton, The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford and the Tytherleigh Arms near Axminster. For value near Exeter, try The Lamb Inn at Sandford; for a community-owned stay, the Drewe Arms at Drewsteignton.
Contents6 sections
Why book a pub with rooms in Devon?
Because it removes the designated driver. In Devon the best pubs sit down narrow lanes in villages no bus reaches after dark, so a good dinner out usually means one person on lime and soda all night. A room upstairs lets the whole table relax, the evening stretch out, and the morning start with a cooked breakfast somewhere that is not your own kitchen.
Every inn below was checked in September 2026 against its Food Standards Agency registration and, wherever it has one, its own website for current rooms and opening days. We have not listed prices: room rates move with the season and the day of the week, so ring or book direct for today's figure. Where a pub closes on certain days, we say so, because that is the detail that ruins a booked weekend.
A quick way to choose: Topsham and Sandford are the easiest from Exeter; North Bovey, Drewsteignton, South Zeal, Lydford and Sourton put you on Dartmoor; Branscombe and Tytherleigh are the East Devon coast and borders.
Which Dartmoor pubs have rooms?
Ring of Bells, North Bovey
Our verdict: the most complete Dartmoor pub stay on this list, because it serves food seven days a week, which few moorland inns manage.
The Ring of Bells sits by the green in North Bovey, among thatched longhouses on the eastern side of the moor. It has five en-suite bedrooms, with breakfast served to residents from 8am to 10am. Its published hours show lunch from noon to 5pm Monday to Saturday, a Sunday roast from noon, and dinner from 5pm to 8.30pm every evening. That daily kitchen is the reason we rank it so high for groups: you do not have to plan the weekend around a closed Monday.
North Bovey is one of the prettiest villages on Dartmoor, and you can walk to Manaton or up towards Hound Tor from the door. Our eastern Dartmoor villages guide covers neighbouring Chagford and Moretonhampstead.
Rooms: 5 en-suite. Food: Lunch and dinner daily. Where: North Bovey, TQ13 8RB. Book: ringofbells.uk or 01647 440375.
The Dartmoor Inn, Lydford
Our verdict: the most restaurant-led stay here, but only if your dates fall Wednesday to Sunday.
The Dartmoor Inn sits on the moorside road at Lydford and describes itself as award-winning country dining. Its rooms are named after local tors (Hare Tor and Brentor among them), and it advertises wifi, parking, gluten-free options, and a welcome for children and dogs. The detail that matters: it is closed Monday and Tuesday, with lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner from 6pm to 8.30pm Wednesday to Sunday.
The National Trust's Lydford Gorge is just down the road. A gorge walk, a late lunch and a room upstairs makes a very good day out.
Food: Lunch and dinner, Wednesday to Sunday. Where: Moorside, Lydford, EX20 4AY. Book: 01822 820221 or dartmoorinn.com.
The Bearslake Inn, Sourton
Our verdict: the best pick for an active weekend, with a big garden facing the moor and the Granite Way close by.
The Bearslake is a 13th-century longhouse inn between Okehampton and Tavistock. It has six spacious en-suite rooms (four dog-friendly), a restaurant serving pub classics and a big garden looking towards the moor. The Granite Way cycle path, the old railway line between Okehampton and Lydford, runs close by. Cycle it in the afternoon, then eat and sleep here, and you have a brilliant one-night break.
Rooms: 6 en-suite, 4 dog-friendly. Where: Lake, Sourton, EX20 4HQ. Book: 01837 861334 or bearslakeinn.com.
The Oxenham Arms, South Zeal
Our verdict: the most historic bed on the moor's northern edge, as long as you avoid a Monday night.
The Oxenham Arms is an old inn in the village of South Zeal, just inside Dartmoor National Park near Okehampton. It has five four-poster bedrooms, each named after a Dartmoor village (Belstone, Chagford, Lydford, Manaton and Lustleigh). Its own site says it is open six days a week, from Tuesday until guests check out on Monday morning, with food from 12pm to 2.30pm and 6pm to 8.30pm. So a Monday night stay is out, but a Saturday on the moor is ideal.
Rooms: 5 four-poster rooms. Food: Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Sunday. Where: South Zeal, EX20 2JT. Book: theoxenhamarms.com or 01837 840244.
Which pubs with rooms are closest to Exeter?
The Salutation Inn, Topsham
Our verdict: the most polished pub with rooms in Devon, and the one to book for a special occasion.
The Salutation is a restored coaching inn on Topsham's Fore Street. It has two suites, four bedrooms and a dog-friendly self-catering flat (The Flat, two-night minimum). It also runs a restaurant, the SALT fishmonger and deli, and a yoga studio. The kitchen serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner seven days a week, shaped by local seafood, properly aged steaks and Devon produce. Breakfast runs 8.30am to 11am, and there is a first-floor Galley Room where residents can help themselves to coffee and tea.
It is about fifteen minutes from Exeter, and Topsham makes an easy weekend. Our foodies' guide to Topsham covers the rest of the town.
Rooms: 2 suites, 4 bedrooms, plus The Flat. Food: Seven days. Where: 68 Fore Street, Topsham, EX3 0HL. Book: salutationtopsham.co.uk or 01392 873060.
The Lamb Inn, Sandford
Our verdict: the best-value overnight within easy reach of Exeter. It is an evening pub, so plan an evening stay.
The Lamb is a 16th-century former coaching inn on the square in Sandford, near Crediton and about ten miles from Exeter. It has seven en-suite bedrooms let with a continental breakfast, a dog-friendly bar with an open fire and a cobbled courtyard. The pub opens in the evenings: from 5pm on weekdays and 4pm at weekends, with a pub food menu from 5.30pm. Guests check in between 5pm and 8pm on weekdays, or from 4pm at weekends. The first Tuesday of the month is folk club night.
Rooms: 7 en-suite, continental breakfast. Food: Evenings from 5.30pm. Where: The Square, Sandford, EX17 4LW. Book: 01363 773676 (the pub asks for direct bookings by phone or email).
The Nobody Inn, Doddiscombsleigh
Our verdict: a proper old country inn with log fires, and a good reason to stay rather than drive the lanes home.
The Nobody Inn is a centuries-old pub in the Teign Valley, about six miles south-west of Exeter, with low beams, log fires and a small number of bedrooms. You can book rooms through its own website. It also runs a Supper Club and a curry night on the last Friday of the month, so ask what is coming up. The pub has long had a reputation for its whisky list. Its published food hours are Monday to Saturday, 12pm to 2.30pm and 6pm to 8.30pm, and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. There is no Sunday dinner, so a Saturday night stay suits it best. The menu changes daily, so ring 01647 252394 before you build an evening around it.
We also cover it in our best gastropubs in Exeter and Devon roundup.
Food: Lunch daily; dinner Monday to Saturday. Where: Doddiscombsleigh, EX6 7PS. Book: nobodyinn.co.uk or 01647 252394.
Which Devon coastal pubs have rooms?
The Masons Arms, Branscombe
Our verdict: the easiest place to get a whole group under one roof, with the coast path on the doorstep.
The Masons Arms is a thatched St Austell Brewery inn in Branscombe, a short walk from the beach. Inside you will find timber beams, whitewashed walls and an open fire. Rooms are spread across the inn and converted cottages, which is why it suits birthdays and reunions better than a five-room village pub. Dogs are welcome, and the pub opens from breakfast until late (7.30am to 11pm on its published hours).
For a group booking at the Masons Arms, ring rather than booking room by room online. The pub can then place you across the inn and cottages together.
Where: Branscombe, EX12 3DJ. Book: masonsarms.co.uk.
The Tytherleigh Arms, near Axminster
Our verdict: the strongest cooking-led stay in East Devon, but its kitchen only runs Wednesday to Sunday.
The Tytherleigh Arms is a 16th-century coaching inn on the border where Devon, Dorset and Somerset meet. It has six courtyard bedrooms with feather-and-down bedding. Its menus include à la carte, tasting and Sunday lunch, built on West Country produce. The kitchen serves lunch Wednesday to Sunday and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, with Sunday evening service from July to September only. The kitchen is closed Monday and Tuesday.
It also makes a good base for the Jurassic Coast. Beer, Seaton and Lyme Regis are short drives away, and our Budleigh Salterton day out covers more of the coastline.
Rooms: 6 courtyard en-suites. Where: Tytherleigh, EX13 7BE. Book: tytherleigharms.com or 01460 220214.
Is there a community-owned pub with rooms in Devon?
The Drewe Arms, Drewsteignton
Our verdict: the warmest story on this list, and the most walker-friendly way to sleep on the edge of the moor.
The Drewe Arms is owned by the village through the Drewsteignton Community Society, which bought it in a community fundraising campaign. It reopened in 2024. It offers two kinds of stay: Church Cottage, a two-bedroom 16th-century house in the village, and three simple bunk rooms popular with walkers on the Two Moors Way. In July 2026 the pub announced a new lead chef, Alex Horn, who is working on the menu. Its site lists small plates, mains, weekend specials and Sunday lunch, with food served Tuesday to Sunday. The Teign Gorge and the National Trust's Castle Drogo are both within walking distance.
Rooms: Church Cottage (2 bedrooms) and 3 bunk rooms. Food: Tuesday to Sunday. Where: The Square, Drewsteignton, EX6 6QN. Book: drewearms.org or 01647 281377.
How do you plan a pub-with-rooms weekend with friends?
Pick the days first. Several pubs here have gaps in the week. The Dartmoor Inn is closed Monday and Tuesday, and the Tytherleigh Arms kitchen is too. The Oxenham Arms is closed on Mondays and the Drewe Arms serves no food on Monday. The Nobody Inn serves no Sunday dinner, and the Tytherleigh has none outside July to September. Midweek elsewhere is usually quieter and easier to book as a group.
Book six weeks out. Most of these inns have between five and seven rooms, so a party of eight can fill the whole place. Send dietary needs ahead and book the dinner table when you book the rooms.
Plan an afternoon. On Dartmoor, our guides to exploring Dartmoor and the best walking routes near Exeter give you a route to finish at the bar. If some of the group would rather sleep under canvas, see our guides to camping in Devon and glamping and unusual stays.
The real point of a pub with rooms is the part of the evening that normally gets cut short. Nobody checks the time or books a taxi, and the good conversation happens after the plates are cleared. Breakfast together the next morning is its own reward.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the best pubs with rooms in Devon?
- Strong choices include The Salutation Inn in Topsham, the Ring of Bells in North Bovey, The Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh, the Masons Arms in Branscombe, the Bearslake Inn at Sourton, The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford, the Oxenham Arms at South Zeal, the Tytherleigh Arms near Axminster, The Lamb Inn at Sandford and the community-owned Drewe Arms at Drewsteignton.
- Which pubs with rooms are near Exeter?
- The Salutation Inn in Topsham is about fifteen minutes from Exeter, and The Nobody Inn at Doddiscombsleigh and The Lamb Inn at Sandford are both roughly twenty minutes away.
- Which Devon pubs with rooms are dog-friendly?
- The Ring of Bells at North Bovey takes dogs in four of its five bedrooms (rooms 2 to 5, per its guest information page), the Bearslake Inn at Sourton has four dog-friendly rooms out of six, The Salutation Inn's self-catering Flat takes dogs, and the Masons Arms at Branscombe and The Dartmoor Inn both say dogs are welcome. Confirm when booking.
- Are there Dartmoor pubs with rooms that serve food every day?
- Yes. The Ring of Bells at North Bovey lists lunch and dinner every day. The Dartmoor Inn at Lydford is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check the days before booking a moorland stay.
- How much does a room at a Devon pub cost?
- Rates vary by season and day of the week, so we do not quote prices. Book direct with the pub for current rates. Midweek stays are usually easier to book as a group.
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