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Parke
A peaceful retreat set within the beautiful Devon countryside
near Bovey Tracey, Devon, TQ13 9JQ
Opening times for 21 December 2024
Asset Opening time Estate and walks Dawn - Dusk Home Farm Café (not NT) 10:00 - 16:00 On Boxing Day Home Farm Cafe will be open 11am – 2:30pm for hot drinks, cakes and a limited brunch/lunch menu.
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Home Farm Café (not NT) - open 10 to 5pm (10 to 4pm November to March) and selected evenings. Dinner bookings essential, please call 01626 830016
Picnic area
A flat grassed area with picnic benches which can be accessed down the stone path from the car park.
Car park
Small car park with limited spaces. Unsuitable for large motorhomes or trailers. National Trust members park for free. Non members: £3 for 2 hours, £5 all day, cash or PayByPhone. No overnight parking
Toilet
Open all hours, including one accessible toilet and a baby-changing facility
Dogs allowed
Please keep "paws on paths" and under effective control. Please use a short lead in the car park and around livestock. Dogs off-lead play area between the disused railway line and river: what3words: ///acted.headlight.lunge
Small car park with limited spaces. Several uneven paths in the woodland area, with some steep gradients and steps.
Accessible toilet
Near the café courtyard. To avoid the courtyard steps, continue down the hill past the café and turn right through a white picket gate. Follow the path to the toilet courtyard on your right
Powered mobility vehicle available
Available to book in advance most days between 10:30 and 1:30pm. Please email parke@nationaltrust.org.uk or leave a message on 01626 834748
Designated parking
Four designated accessible spaces in the car park. Blue badge holders park for free
Steps/uneven terrain
Steep hill down to the café and river. Uneven terrain through the woodland. Two steps to access the Walled Garden which has narrow paths in places
Drop-off point
Outside the café
By road
Just 2 miles from A38 Devon Expressway, connecting Plymouth and Exeter.
Parking: Car park free to National Trust members, or £3 for 2 hours and £5 for all day. To find the entrance to the car park - what3words: ///hillsides.farms.clipboard
On foot
A short walk of roughly 1 mile from the town of Bovey Tracey along a public footpath. The estate is also on the Dartmoor Way long distance walking trail and the Wray Valley Trail.
By train
Newton Abbot train station 6 miles and Exeter St Davids train station 16 miles.
By bus
Stagecoach bus 38 from Exeter or bus 39 from Newton Abbot. Stop at the Dolphin Hotel in Bovey Tracey then walk a third of a mile along level ground to the Parke estate. Country Bus 193 runs between Bovey Tracey and Newton Abbot via Hay Tor Wednesday and Friday (except Public Holidays).
By bicycle
The Newton Abbot to Bovey Tracey cycleway mainly follows the route taken by the granite quarried from beneath Haytor (a granite tor in Dartmoor National Park) and transported to Newton Abbot. It is a moderate 9 mile cycle route along fairly quiet roads, with some traffic-free sections, waymarked with blue cycleway signs. National Cycle Network Route 28 forms part of the Wray Valley Trail. Parke is also accessible from Route 272 and the Dartmoor Way.
Planning your visit
Article
Your accessible visit to Parke
Find out how hiring the all-terrain mobility scooter at Parke can help you explore the wider estate.
Article
Visiting Parke with your dog
Find out about visiting Parke with your dog, from where you can and can't take them, to the facilities available to dog owners. Parke is a one pawprint rated place.
PDF
Article
Sustainable travel across Dartmoor National Trust
Sustainable travel to National Trust places around Dartmoor is easier than you might think. We've put together a useful guide to help you navigate some greener transport options.
Highlights
Estate
A peaceful woodland retreat within the Devon countryside, on the outskirts of the small market town of Bovey Tracey.
Garden
A walled garden growing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers, surrounded by a mixed orchard.
Leat and weir
The River Bovey was an important source of water to power Bovey Tracey's historic mills sited downstream.
Things to see and do
Article
Things to do at Parke
Explore the historic estate of Parke on the edge of Dartmoor, with its walled garden and mixed orchard plus abundant wildlife on the river.
Outdoor activities
Activity
Outdoor activities at Parke
Find out what outdoor activities you can enjoy on your visit to Parke. Bring your bike, go for a run or walk or enjoy an orienteering adventure.
Eating
Home Farm Café
Home Farm Café (not National Trust) offers local seasonal produce and food, made with love. This award-winning café and restaurant is located within a pretty courtyard, offering visitors to Parke a truly lovely pit-stop during their walk.
Places to stay
The Lodge at Parke
A homely bolthole for two with the wilds of Dartmoor on its doorstep.
The Watch Tower
A medieval gem in the walls of Compton Castle, in a landscape of rolling hills and orchards.
Warcleave Cottage
A woodland hide-out complete with a tree-top balcony and a riverside garden.
Upcoming events
About Parke
There's something for everyone at Parke, found on the outskirts of the small market town of Bovey Tracey, gateway to mystical Dartmoor. You can walk from the town (about one mile) or stop off as you drive to the open moor, where the next stop is the rugged crag of Haytor.
This compact estate was once the home of a wealthy local family and probably enabled them to be self-sufficient for all their day-to-day needs with
- a vegetable garden, fruit garden and orchard
- cold house, fish pond, grazing meadows for livestock and beehives for honey
- and gardens to wander in for spiritual refreshment.
So, take a short stroll around the garden, or a longer more strenuous walk through the woodlands and along the river to the medieval weir. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for a myriad of wildlife and a host of wild flowers.
History
Article
History of the River Bovey at Parke
The River Bovey runs through Parke and was an important source of water to power Bovey Tracey's historic mills sited downstream. Find out more about its history.
Our work
Article
Our work at Parke
Discover the important work of the ranger and garden teams at Parke, from conservation grazing and woodland management, to the productive crop and cutting garden.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Parke.