I found the UK’s best autumn staycation spot used for new Sense & Sensibility film with award-winning pubs & £40pp hotel
JANE Austen knew what she was doing when she wrote her books in atmospheric locations.
And with a new movie based on her novel Sense & Sensibility coming out this weekend, the locations in the film are the perfect destination for a staycation.
I have visited Dartmoor National Park more times than I can count, including the spots used in the film – and I stand by that it is the best staycation spot in England.
The National Park spans 368 square miles and to put that into perspective, its around nine times the size of the City of Paris.
In fact, Dartmoor is so huge you could spend a whole week exploring it and you could still come back again and see new things.
But you won’t see skyscrapers and massive roads here – instead, rolling hills meet meandering rivers with winding country roads running alongside them.
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The new Sense & Sensibility film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Elinor Dashwood and Esmé Creed-Miles as Marianne Dashwood, used the rugged and windswept landscapes of Dartmoor extensively to film scenes of the movie.
One location used was Gutter Tor – a large granite rock pile that makes for the ideal walk.
There is a small car park not too far away and after exploring the tor, head to Ditsworthy Warren House, just south of the tor, which was also used in film and it already featured in Steven Spielberg‘s film War Horse.
As a child and still now as an adult, I love searching for letterboxes on Dartmoor – a traditional hobby box with a rubber stamp inside and a visitor book.

Obviously some are harder to find than others and while I haven’t found one at Gutter Tor, there are three officials ones in the area.
It is a great activity for kids, like the ultimate hide and seek.
You will usually find them in the crevices of the granite rocks, or even under some that are light enough to move.
Another spot the new blockbuster used as a filming spot was Princetown, which is one of the National Park’s villages.
The small village is home to the famous Dartmoor Prison, made entirely out of granite.
Many myths and folklore about Dartmoor originate at this prison and are usually about escaped prisoners.
I’d really recommend heading to the Dartmoor Prison Museum to learn more about the 200-year-old building.
And if you want to hear more about the folklore, book onto a Heart of Dartmoor Guided Walk, based in Princetown.
For half a day (£40pp) or a full-day (£70pp) visitors head off on walks across open moorland and tracks with a guide who will share local folklore, history and hidden features.
Pop into Dartmoor Brewery’s shop as well and pick up some of their famous Jail Ales which have won numerous awards over the past few years.
The ales all come from the brewery next door, which is England‘s highest brewery at 446.5 metres above sea level.
If you want to sit and enjoy a pint in a pub, then pop into the Plume of Feathers or the Prince of Wales.
The final Dartmoor filming spot was Tavistock – a historic market town on the edge of the National Park.
Known as the original home of the cream tea, it is well worth spending a day exploring.
The World Heritage status town is home to loads of independent shops, a famous pannier market and an award-winning farmers market.
The town has a heap of restaurants, pubs and cafes as well and if you want to extend your stay then book into the Cornish Arms for a night, costing from £124 per night.
Dartmoor has more to explore than just these filming spots though…
One of the most popular spots to visit – with good reason – is Haytor.
The towering tor at the edge of the moors provides the ideal walk for those who enjoy being outside but don’t want anything too rigorous.
By Haytor is also The Moorland Hotel, with stunning gardens and a large restaurant serving delicious comfort food.
Staying here is the perfect base to explore the National Park and what makes it even better is that it costs from just £80 per night – so £40 per person per night, with breakfast included.
And across the moors you will find more than 70 pubs in total, many of which have won awards for either their drinks or food.
For example, head to The Chagford Inn, which is recognised as a leading West Country gastropub and focuses on farm-to-table menus.
Also in Chagford, drop into the Three Crowns which is the Gold Winner for Pub of the Year at the Visit Devon Tourism Awards and a Devon Life Food and Drink Awards finalist.
Another fun family spot – that is free to visit – is Dartmeet.
Here you can go for a dip in the river, head over a traditional clapper bridge and venture across giant stepping stones that span the river.
If all of this wasn’t enough, Dartmoor is actually the only place in England you can wild camp for free.
So, get your tent out and you’ll have free accommodation too.


