The 5 star Bovey Castle Hotel and Golf Resort, with its unique location in Dartmoor National Park, offers its guests a break with a difference. As well as its spa and health club with Art Deco indoor swimming pool and gym facilities, there’s the chance for visitors to explore the great outdoors including the rugged scenery of the 275-acre park right on the hotel doorstep. With lots of adrenaline activities to discover why not plan your stay today?
For lovers of the great outdoors and adrenaline junkies, Bovey Castle offers a break with a difference. Dartmoor is the perfect location for extreme sports enthusiasts of all ages and Bovey Castle caters for their needs with a range of activities available. High octane adventures on offer include Game Shooting and Deer Stalking; Hot Air Ballooning; Rock Climbing and Quad Biking, so there is sure to be something for everyone. More experienced drivers can enjoy testing their motoring skills by enrolling on a Land Rover Experience and pitting their wits against the roughest terrain. View the estate from new viewpoints whilst handling a Land Rover and showing off your driving skills in this exhilarating activity.
Visitors can try Game Shooting and Deer Stalking, quintessential outdoor pursuits in the English countryside, as part of their stay at the hotel. Bovey Castle arranges pheasant, snipe and woodcock shoots, as well as duck flighting. Stalking fallow and roebuck deer is also available in the countryside. Guests can participate alongside locals with the opportunity to shoot around 40 birds in a typical day. Other sports available include clay pigeon shooting and falconry.
Hot Air Ballooning provides guests with a unique chance to view the majestic beauty of Dartmoor National Park from the air. So that they can appreciate the sheer scale of the rugged landscape from this unforgettable perspective. Flights are available either early morning or in the evening, with full safety instruction for participants before take off.
Dartmoor is well known for Rock Climbing amongst the granite tors, discover courses for both beginners and more experienced climbers. Visitors can enjoy bouldering amongst some of the most rugged and exciting landscapes in southern England. Great fun can also be had Quad Biking, racing along muddy tracks and country lanes. Protective clothing and headgear are provided in the price of £80 per person.
These are just a few of the heart pumping attractions available near Bovey Castle Hotel. These experiences make a great gift for friends and family and vouchers are available to purchase.
For more information about any of these activities, guests should contact the Reservations Team on 01647 445022. Why not discover more of our Bovey activities?
With craggy landscapes, a fascinating history and the wide open spaces of one of England’s last true wildernesses. Dartmoor is the perfect setting for an exhilarating horse riding holiday; the freedom of thundering across the moors with the sun on your face; fresh air in your lungs and the wind in your hair is unbeatable.
At Bovey Castle, we offer a horse riding experience in conjunction with Liberty Trails, in Devon that is perfect for experienced riders looking for a horse riding holiday with a difference. Dogs are welcome at the hotel and non-equestrian guests will find plenty to do, including fishing, golf and falconry.
Ideally suited to experienced riders looking for an adventurous horse riding holiday in a beautiful setting, our Devon horse riding break is one of the best ways to explore Dartmoor. We offer exciting rides across the remote and unspoilt countryside. Accompanied by experienced guides who have ridden on Dartmoor National Park all their lives; whether you choose to ride one of our forward going, high-quality horses or bring your own mount, you can be sure of an unforgettable horse riding experience in Devon. If you opt to bring your own horse, the break includes three nights livery in our stables. Western saddles are available if you prefer.
By far the best way to explore Dartmoor is on horseback; off the beaten track, hidden treasures await. Dartmoor has so much to offer equestrian fans: miles of open unspoilt moorland and woodland to explore; Bronze Age settlements; sparkling waterfalls; ancient stone circles and majestic tors rising above the heather covered hillsides. We also tailor your horse riding experience in Devon to suit your preferences, with options that include trail rides, a full day’s or half day’s ride at hunting pace and rides accompanied by a falconer.
Five star Bovey Castle is the perfect setting for a horse riding break in Devon’s beautiful countryside. So return from an exhilarating day’s riding to the luxurious comforts of the Spa, followed by a delectable dinner with menus featuring fresh local produce in one of the hotel’s first class restaurants. Non-riding partners are not forgotten and can choose from a range of activities such as golf, a relaxing and restorative session in the spa, walking, off-road driving and traditional falconry. With an historic setting, recently refurbished and beautifully appointed rooms and a meticulous attention to every detail required for a memorable stay, a horse riding experience in Devon at Bovey Castle is the ideal way to escape from the stresses of everyday life and restore your equilibrium.
Discover more of our Bovey activities or book your horse riding experience at Bovey Castle today.
Dartmoor National park in south west England is an idyllic setting for a short break where visitors can relax and get away from the stresses of modern life in beautiful rural surroundings. The perfect retreat for a spa hotel stay in Devon.
The park is well known for its vast and rugged moorland scenery where ponies run wild through craggy landscapes and rivers cascade between rock formations. Its valleys are dotted with ancient tombs and fascinating stone circles as well as derelict farmhouses and there are great opportunities for walking and exploring the landscape.
The 5 star Bovey Castle Hotel offers its guests a wide range of country based activities. The hotel, which is named after the local river, has been awarded many prizes for its hospitality including being named as a great family hotel. With Eden Hotel Collection claiming Small Hotel Group of the Year in 2015, in recognition of its great levels of customer service.
At the heart of the Bovey Castle Hotel visitors will find the luxurious and newly refurbished Elan Spa where they can enjoy tranquil surroundings. Bovey Castle is one of the top Spa Hotel Devon destinations.
The spa offers a wide range of bespoke experiences and beauty treatments in Devon, designed specifically to help customers relax and restore their wellbeing. Treatments are carried out using Espa’s celebrated skincare products such as essential oils, marine extracts and botanicals, to pamper the skin and rejuvenate the body and mind. A wide range of beauty treatments are available seven days a week.
Visitors can enjoy a beauty retreat in Devon in this oasis of tranquility by taking advantage of a two day spa break which includes a 55 minute treatment carried out by the hotel’s expert therapists, together with accommodation and full English breakfast. Beauty treatment options include Facial, Full Body Massage or Neck and Face Massage. “Time to Spa” is offered subject to availability.
Alternatively for visitors who can only visit for the day the hotel offers a “time to relax” one day experience which includes dinner in the hotel restaurant, breakfast and a 25 minute treatment. Spa days include not just treatments but also use of the on-site swimming pool, steam room, Jacuzzi and sauna. Whatever your needs the hotel offers a spa experience to suit. For visitors looking to experience a Spa hotel in Devon, Bovey Castle is a top destination.
A weekend beauty retreat in Devon will leave guests feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Why not discover our spa packages?
Introducing our guest blog from Mette at Cotswold Concierge, from when she visited Bovey Castle this Summer with her family. See what she had to say about her memorable stay… Why not visit Devon and see what all the fuss is about?
I love nothing more than going away with my kids. From planning a trip, talking about where we’re going and what we’re going to experience, to the trip, the pit stops on the way and then arriving at our destination, full of excitement about what’s ahead. Whether we’re going on a long holiday, visiting a local attraction for a few hours, off on a day trip somewhere or, indeed, on a luxurious 24-hour stay at a 5-star hotel in Devon Dartmoor National Park, nothing make me happier than spending quality time and making lovely memories with the kids. So when we arranged our stay at Bovey Castle this summer, we did our homework and as we arrived, we already knew to expect an incredibly beautiful, vast and impressive building, a luxurious setting and 5-star service. But even with these sky-high expectations, we weren’t prepared for exactly how fantastic our 24 hours at Bovey Castle were going to be.
Greeted by the friendly reception team and the concierges by the door, we were whisked in and shown our room first of all. Well, I say room, it was a suite, it was sweet and there were sweets! When you travel, dine out or stay overnight anywhere with kids, there’s always the question of whether a place is as child-friendly as they say they are. Most places say they are, but the level of how welcome children truly are, varies greatly, of this I’m sure many parents will agree. Bovey Castle really is incredibly child-friendly. From the warm welcome, treatment and fuss-making by every single member of staff we came into contact with and the sweets, fruit and child-sized bath accessories in the room, to the daily falconry display, the super-fun children’s survival class the kids were invited on and the child-friendly dinnertime in the brasserie… there was no limit to how welcome Matthew and Noelle were made to feel at Bovey Castle, and this meant I was relaxed and happy and enjoying our stay at Bovey Castle even more.
Well settled in the room, it was time for a bit of lunch before we did anything else, as we had driven for a while and were all hungry. We went to the bar and ordered our lunch, the obligatory burger (we love a good burger!), a nice wrap and a specially created vegetarian option for Noelle who was happy to find that no request was too big for the chefs in the kitchen, and they made her a delicious egg sandwich and salad. The wrap was great and the burger was among the best Matthew and I have ever had – complete with chunky chips and an incredible onion relish, absolutely spot on and just what we had hoped for. During our lunch the General Manager of the hotel, Francisco, came by for a chat. He was lovely, great fun and extended his warm welcome to us all, making an extra fuss of the kids, something any mum loves, of course, and we left the bar full and happy and excited about our stay at this incredible hotel.
The lovely spa at Bovey Castle is a wonderful and relaxing place to enjoy a little ‘me-time’. I went with my mum for a relaxation-session while the kids were trying to survive and make a fire outside (more of that in a bit) and it was perfect. When the kids came back in from the outside (they survived, yay!), it was time for a couple of hours of lounging by, and splashing in, the pool. And what a lovely pool it is, with the added bonus of overlooking the beautiful terrace, park and golf course outside. For the children there is no limit to the amount of time that can be spent in a swimming pool, but for my mum and me, 3 times 10 minutes over the course of 2 hours is about the limit, so when we were out of the pool, we were happily relaxing on the loungers, chatting and enjoying the stunning views on one side and the kids playing on the other. The perfect afternoon, no less.
One of the activities created for the children staying at the hotel, was a 2-hour survival course with Bovey Castle’s ‘Manager of Fun’. His official title is ‘Activities Manager’, but when your job is creating fun experiences for kids, corporate groups and anyone in between, surely you need a title change. Matthew and Noelle joined Mark and 3 other children who were staying with their families in the hotel, and off they went for 2 hours or den building, play with ferrets, bonfire making, marshmallows and sweet bread on sticks and much, much more. They came back so happy, full of great stories of how to survive in the wilderness, they had absolutely loved their time with Mark and were already asking when we could go back so they could go out with him again.
Dining at Bovey Castle can take two different shapes as you have the choice of Smith’s Brasserie at one end of the building, with the more relaxed atmosphere and menu, and The Great Western at the other end which offers fine dining and 3 AA Rosettes. Being with the kids, we chose the brasserie as the nuances of fine dining is often lost on them and what we were in the mood for, was the relaxed dining experience. However, with the quality of the food and the flavours at play on our plates, we could easily have been enjoying the culinary delights of fine dining, so delicious was our evening meal. The children enjoyed the food from the kids’ menu and we had a wonderful dinner overlooking the stunning views of the golf course. Another perfect moment at Bovey Castle.
Night time was upon us and we retired to our perfect suite. The kids had a bath in the luxurious free standing bathtub in the enormous bathroom (“Mummy, it’s bigger than the room”, which it nearly was), we sat back in our beds, enjoyed a bit of TV, a glass of bubbly and fell asleep (slept like babies) happy about the fantastic day we had just enjoyed at Bovey Castle.
Now, it’s no secret, I absolutely LOVE a hotel breakfast, a love I share with my daughter. The abundance, the luxurious set-up and the delicious culinary delights. And as with all the other aspects of our stay at Bovey Castle, the breakfast more than exceeded our expectations with even more abundance, luxury and culinary delights than we could ever hope for. The breakfast at Bovey Castle is served in the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, The Great Western, and it was just the perfect ending to a perfect 24 hours at Bovey Castle
Why not discover more about our wonderful Dartmoor hotel Bovey Castle?
With two distinct coastlines, one facing the Atlantic Ocean and the other overlooking the English Channel, Devon has plenty of attractive golf courses to explore.
However, the county also stands out from the rest of the south west because of its inland courses; some of which overlook dramatic natural scenery; not least those in the National Park of Dartmoor. If you usually play on the Costa Del Sol or the Algarve, then Devon cannot necessarily guarantee similar weather. But, it can promise the exhilarating experience playing golf in a unique environment matching anything in southern Europe. For a golf resort in the UK where golfers can enjoy in perfect scenery, why look at anywhere other than Devon?
One of the top luxury golf resort destinations in Devon is Bovey Castle. Designed in the 1920s, it is located between the villages of Moretonhampstead and Lettaford in the heart of the National Park. A truly stunning 18-hole championship course, it was first devised to match the splendour of Gleneagles and Turnberry and, by the time it opened in 1930, it had certainly achieved that aspiration. The golf course architect, J F Abercromby, a highly regarded course designer of the twentieth century.
The River Bovey runs by the luxury golf resort; an almost ever present feature of the first few holes. The use of this natural feature in the course design is what Bovey Castle is all about. Although your ball may end up in the river, it is not deep or wide and therefore your ball can be retrieved without much fuss. The third and sixth holes are a particular delight to play and involve plenty of potential water traps, despite both being deceptively easy par threes. The seventh is named after the Open Championship winning Henry Cotton. He listed it as among his favourite holes to play in the UK. It, too, features the river as it meanders its way through the plush estate.
Although the course is established as one of the best golf courses in Devon, there are more reasons to visit. A golf resort that UK visitors can all truly enjoy, it provides a fully-equipped and modern clubhouse plus a driving range, a golfing academy and a brasserie for meals and snacks. Indeed, luxury golf packages can easily be combined with stays at Bovey Castle’s excellent hotel, making it an ideal choice for corporate golf days, for example.
Rated as a 5-star hotel, Bovey Castle features a luxuriously appointed spa and a fine dining restaurant, named the Great Western. There are 60 bedrooms in total, all of which have been individually styled to match the splendour of the manor house. Many of the rooms overlook the golf course and wider views of the natural scenery that Dartmoor provides.
Why not discover more about our golf packages?
We were awarded 5 Red Stars by the AA for exceptional hospitality this week. Five Red Stars is the highest accolade awarded by the AA and only the most outstanding hotels achieve this honour! We are proud to be an award-winning hotel in Devon.
The AA assess hotels on ‘Common Quality Standards’ including service, food, bedrooms, bathrooms and public areas. Further categories include: cleanliness, maintenance, safety and security, dining, room service, bedroom size, bathroom facilities, public areas and external areas. We passed a strict list of undercover inspections covering all aspects of these standards and also many more.
Suffice to say the team here are thrilled that our hard work and effort has resulted in this prestigious rating. So we are extremely proud to be recognised as a first-class destination in the South West.
This great achievement comes after recently being awarded 3 AA rosettes in our Great Western Restaurant headed up by Chef Mark Budd.
Come and see what all the fuss is about at our award-winning hotel!
We would love to invite you all to come and experience our culinary excellence and outstanding accommodation for yourselves so why not take us up on one of our offers…
To book a table call 01647 445007 or book a table online.
Birds of prey are fascinating creatures, getting up close and personal to them is a dream opportunity. Discover our top flight falconry experience at Bovey Castle…
Although falconry displays offer the chance to see these wonderful birds working under the guidance of an experienced handler, there is something to be said for going that step further and flying them for yourself. Birds of prey are handled in an exhilarating way at Bovey Castle, in the dramatic landscape of Dartmoor.
Among the top destinations in the UK for wild birds of prey, our team offer a falconry experience visitors can enjoy at any time of year. A hands-on falconry session is on offer which runs on either a morning or afternoon for roughly three hours. A typical session starts with an introduction to the various types of birds of prey that can be handled and flown. Clients will subsequently gain experience of flying owls and working with falcons, one of the fastest wild birds of prey in Devon. The thrill of a falcon hurtling towards you at up to 100 miles per hour is something to behold!
However, the action does not stop there because the highlight of the experience is yet to come… The majestic eagle is a bird of prey that is also available during the experience. Flying the most iconic of all hunting birds makes a falconry experience a cut above the norm.
Well-known for its often bleak beauty, Dartmoor is the perfect place to learn how to handle wild birds of prey. Bovey Castle is also home to a stunning and naturalistic championship golf course which has a river running through its frequently challenging holes. As such, the short walk between the falconry centre and the hotel located at Bovey Castle is a joy. Why not book a superb experience that you will never forget when you happen to be in such great surroundings? You will get the chance to wear a handler’s gauntlet and to feed and fly raptors under the guidance of experts in a perfect natural environment.
After a face-to-face encounter with a beautiful bird of prey, what could be better than relaxing at Bovey Castle’s premier spa facilities or taking in a round of golf? The hotel is equipped with a number of places to eat, including a sumptuous à-la-carte restaurant, and a charming bar. Set in one of the country’s most stunning National Parks, the hotel has 60 rooms and is dog friendly. Bovey Castle benefits from a grand country manor feel with bedrooms individually decorated to complement that sensation.
Would you like to meet our resident birds of prey? Book this activity.
The golf course at the 5 Red Star Bovey Castle Hotel is a challenging and beautiful 18-hole championship course, designed in 1926 by J F Abercromby, one of the finest British golf course designers of the last century.
When the course opened in 1930, it quickly gained national acclaim for its reputation as one of the most enjoyable places to play golf.
Designed to rival its sister courses at Gleneagles and Turnberry, our Bovey Castle golf course has been described as an experience of golf never to be forgotten, presenting the pure challenge of golf to professional and amateur alike. The course meanders through the hotel estate, surrounded by idyllic landscape and challenges to meet any handicap.
To understand the beauty, as well as the complexity of our golf course, we have created a step by step guide to each hole that accurately describes them:
This opening tee shot at Bovey Castle is inviting in the extreme, plunging down into the river valley onto a newly reshaped fairway and leaving a short shot across the River Bovey onto the green.
As the river is very much in play from the tee, it is wise to lay up with a long iron or a wood.
The 2nd is a treacherous hole where placement is everything. A dogleg to the left around a wood, it’s all too easy to over-shoot the fairway. Stay as tight to the left as possible to leave the best line into the green here at Bovey Castle, which again, is on the far side of the river.
Whilst not wanting to come up short, be sure not to over club as two pot bunkers await you.
The river again dominates the 3rd, although the lake around the green is actually an ornamental feature here in the Bovey Castle gardens. The green is sited on a natural promontory and is a target that is almost entirely surrounded by water.
The right half of the green is the side to aim. Here, there is a little more room than the view from the tee may suggest.
A classic hole in the heroic mould awaits you on the 4th here at Bovey Castle. The river catches the eye line from the tee and runs alongside the 4th fairway.
Bunkers and trees lurk on the far side of the fairway for those who take the cautious line, whilst the river awaits those who are over optimistic. The approach to the green is heavily bunkered so lay back to leave a full shot in.
The downhill tee-shot is an inviting one on the 5th here at Bovey Castle, although the trees to the left and right can easily encroach on the demanding second shot back over the River Bovey.
The less powerful may be well advised to lay up. If you do ‘go for it’ it’s wise to take one more club than the yardage suggests.
The 6th is an attractive downhill par three plying back across the river that runs through our magnificent Bovey Castle Golf Course. The green is angled, so that the back right portion is tucked behind the right-hand bunker. Shots to this section of the green need to fly the full distance, although the right to left wind and downhill shot makes this almost a club shorter than normal.
This famous (and equally infamous) hole has tantalised, infuriated and charmed golfers since its creation here at Bovey Castle. Sir Henry Cotton recognised its undoubted quality by listing it in his favourite 18 holes in Britain.
The river meanders in a dangerous fashion down the right. The green is a classic example of Abercromby’s flair for design.
The final river hole in one of the most daunting opening stretches of golf here at Bovey Castle. Here, the river nibbles in alongside the landing area and the green is set alongside a stream that winds all down the left hand side of the green and the approach.
The bold line from the tee will hug the left so that a shot up the length of the green is set up.
Newly restored from Abercromby’s original design, the 9th hole is a par 3 with a small green that is closely guarded by 6 treacherous bunkers. Choose your club wisely.
The 10th is the only par 5 on the back 9. It plays across a valley through a saddle in the hill here at Bovey Castle… leaving a second shot across another valley. Players laying up need to be wary of the ditch at the bottom of the hill.
Players going for the green in 2 must carry the 3 big bunkers short of the green.
This is a superb par 4 with a dramatic approach across our lake-filled, Bovey Castle valley. Any shot even slightly short of the green is likely to roll back down into trouble. Many should lay up, but even this leaves a demanding pitch to an elevated green.
Take plenty of club on this shot as well, because it predominantly plays into the wind.
The final short hole may be the hardest of them all. From the back tee, it is frighteningly tight with an angled green guarded by a deep front bunker. The prospect from the forward tee is a little less daunting, but still calls for a deceptively long uphill shot.
It is certainly better to be long than short, as the back of the green is free of bunkers.
The 13th provides possibly the first light relief of the round and is in range from the tee for the longer players. Bunkers hug the left hand side of the fairway for the last 100yards and any shot destined for the green must flirt with them. The green is on 2 levels so an accurate approach is essential to create a birdie opportunity. The right side of the green runs off quickly, so it is usually better to aim a little left with the approach shot.
Another short par 4 through a narrow gap in the trees, the 14th is a fun hole, rewarding accuracy rather than raw power. The bunker in the fairway is the line, everyone having to decide how to carry or circumnavigate it.
More powerful players will drive straight over it and may well reach the green, although the green’s cunning undulations make putting a challenge.
This hole swings to the left around a dense stand of fir trees. The ideal line is to stay on the left half of the fairway making the approach shot shorter. On a course where most of the greens are small, this hole differs
by providing a generous target, but it is elevated. Take plenty of club, especially if the flag is cut behind the bunker.
If conditions are firm and fast, stay right of the marker post but be careful to avoid the bunkers. Longer players may fancy hitting it to the right, but this leaves an awkward angle to approach the green.
A running approach shot is often a good idea to this small green. Anything over the green is not easy, so it is better to be a little on the short side.
The key to the 17th hole is choosing the right line from the tee. For the longer players straight over the top of the highest tree, whilst the shorter player should hug the right of the copse. Once over the hill, the green is an inviting target, but testing to hit from a downhill lie.
This hole requires a drive up around the bunkers if the green is to be in view for the second shot. Drives hugging the left will leave a shorted second, but will be blind with the approach to the green tilting sharply from left to right.
Bovey Castle also offers a fully-equipped club house, driving range, golf academy and brasserie for pre and post-match meals and snacks to complement the golf course.
If you would like more information about our golf course, or golf holiday offers to play the course at Bovey Castle, please contact the golf team on 01647 445009 or email golf@boveycastle.com.
For a conference venue in Devon with a difference, try our Bovey Castle Country Pursuits Day. The ultimate conference package for all of your business needs! Discover the perfect conference venue in Devon…
Start the day with a half day meeting in a complimentary room along with refreshments for your team. Break away at lunchtime with a delicious spread of food served as a buffet lunch. If needed, afternoon refreshments will be available for all delegates. Save the best til last! Once your day’s meetings are complete, you and your team can also enjoy archery and shooting on the estate, as well as the chance to enjoy the stunning views and luxurious castle surroundings.
Why choose any other conference venue in Devon? Bovey Castle has so much to offer for the best business meeting, with private meeting rooms, delicious refreshments, 5-star service from our attentive team and country pursuit activities to add a bit of extra fun to the meeting day!
Our conference venue offer is available at just £65.00 per person (max 30 delegates)
For more information, please contact us today. Call our team on 01647 445000.
Discover the spectacular splendour of Bovey Castle with our latest meeting offer. Equipped with all the business essentials to make your meeting the best it can be, why choose any other venue?
Discover the ultimate meeting venue in the heart of Dartmoor National Park… so if you’re looking for a peaceful countryside retreat to inspire look no further than Bovey Castle for all of your meeting venue needs!
Upon arrival, you and your team will be greeted by our attentive team, served with delicious refreshments. After use of your meeting room for the day sit down with a delicious buffet lunch with a selection of dishes. Then, back to your meeting room before more afternoon refreshments and enjoy a sloe gin & cider tasting class for additional fun and to round off the day with this fun team building activity.
Our meeting venue offer is available at just £65.00 per person (max 20 delegates). Room hire for your meeting is also included, as well as those stunning Dartmoor views!
For more information, please contact us today, call our team on 01647 445000.
Eden Hotel Collection is part of Rigby Group (RG) plc.
Bovey Castle Property Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with Company Number 09552863.
Registered office address: c/o Eden Hotel Collection, Bridgeway House, Bridgeway, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6YX
VAT Number: 806641241
