Bittaford is bordered by Dartmoor National Park and driving under the imposing rock railway viaduct that crosses the village, you may feel like you have travelled back in time. It’s a small and people choose to live in Bittaford for a quiet life in a village with all the usual facilities – a village hall, playing fields and communal sports grounds – but it does have excellent links via the A38 Devon Expressway, extremely regular bus routes, and the railway station at nearby Ivybridge. The combination makes this village much sought-after.
To the north is the atmospheric Moorhaven Village. The buildings, mostly Victorian, were once a hospital but in the 1990s were transformed into around one hundred homes set in 65 acres of landscaped grounds. The elevated position offers incredible views of Dartmoor National Park to the north, and the beautiful countryside of the South Hams to the south. On a clear day you can see the sea seven miles away.
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There’s a village hall for community gatherings and a friendly, family-run free house pub, The Horse and Groom, which has won awards from Plymouth CAMRA including Pub of the Year in 2020. Families are attracted by the outdoor life they can enjoy in the area. Pre-school and primary schools are in Ugborough (less than a mile away). Secondary school pupils can go to the award-winning Ivybridge Community College.
LOCALS LOVE
The South Hams is home to many independent businesses and entrepreneurs so it’s fortunate that one of the small, family-run enterprises on your doorstep in Bittaford is Stone’s Honey. Their premium artisan honey is made by bees which forage on the natural larder of Dartmoor. The business was established in 2015 and there’s been a real “buzz” about it with the honey winning several prestigious Taste of the West awards.
Local website www.moorhaven.org