Princetown see · Princetown attractions
All Destinations | Europe | Asia | North America | Africa | South America | Oceania | Hotels
Princetown attractions
Princetown attractions
Most visitors to Princetown come to see the main gates to Dartmoor Prison. This is easy to access on foot - or you can just look at it in passing, from the window of your car or coach or motorhome! If you do choose to walk there, it is less than 10 minutes walk from Princetown's general store (depending on how quickly you walk, of course).
A museum all about Dartmoor Prison is located just across the road from the prison itself.
There is the church of St Michael and All Angels, building was started by French prisoners, later joined by American prisoners, and is the only church in the UK built entirely by convict labour. Its first service took place on 2nd January 1814. The church is still consecrated but is not open regularly, although it is usually open every Sunday during the summer months, thanks to volunteers. Even when the church itself is not open it is still possible to walk around the church and admire it, and also to study the graveyard.
In the middle of Princetown there is a war memorial. There is an interesting granite drinking fountain just on the right-hand-side of the Prince Of Wales pub, although apparently it ran dry shortly after being installed, over a century ago. A large monument (by Princetown standards) commemorates the Silver Jubilee of Queen Victoria, this stands right outside the Visitor Centre. There is an original K6 red telephone booth in Princetown, directly across the road from the Old Police Station cafe.
The Visitor Centre itself contains displays on the history of Princetown, also information about the landscape, history and wildlife of Dartmoor. There is an extensive collection of oral history recordings from people who have lived in the area, with many interesting accounts. These are available for visitors to listen to. There are art exhibitions at the Visitor Centre too, which change regularly.
The Arts and Crafts Centre is directly across the road from the Visitor Centre. It contains small units available for people to rent and use as studios, for a variety of arts, such as painting in a variety of media, photography, felt making, jewellery making, and fabric work. It is open on most days for members of the public to look around.
Princetown is ideally situated as a base to go walking or hiking from. Even if you don't want a long hike, a 15 minute walk from the Visitor Centre car park, going along the former railway line (now a path for walkers and cyclists) will reward you with marvellous views across Dartmoor - providing it is a clear day! Also on this little walk is a good view of Princetown Brewery (it is not normally open for public visits) - it is the highest brewery in England.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Princetown
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Princetown - updated Apr 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Princetown hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
>>> SEARCH FOR DEALS <<<
WHERE TO TRAVEL NEXT IN 2020
Princetown Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.