Best things to do in Dartmouth

Dartmouth Essentials

Dartmouth’s maritime history is anchored by its coastal defenses, including the 14th-century Dartmouth Castle and the Tudor blockhouse at Bayards Cove. The town's medieval center features the 14th-century St Saviour's Church and the Newcomen Engine, the world's oldest working steam engine. Along the waterfront, the Royal Avenue Gardens and the historic Royal Castle Hotel overlook the River Dart, while the quiet Compass Cove offers a secluded beach near the mouth of the estuary.

Tom Jolliffe / CC BY-SA 2.0

Dartmouth Castle

Dartmouth Castle is an artillery fort, built to protect Dartmouth harbour in Devon, England.

Troxx / Public domain

Bayards Cove Fort

Bayard's Cove Fort, also known historically as Berescove or Bearscore Castle, is an English 16th-century artillery blockhouse, built to…

St Saviour's

A 14th-century Anglican church featuring a medieval ironwork door dated 1363 and an intricately carved wooden rood screen from the 1630s.

Rosser1954 / Public domain

Station Cafe

Dartmouth railway station was a booking office for train tickets located on the quayside of Dartmouth in the English county of Devon.

Newcomen Engine

The world's oldest preserved atmospheric steam engine, originally built around 1725 by Dartmouth-born inventor Thomas Newcomen.

Royal Avenue Gardens

A landscaped public park on the town's embankment featuring ornamental flower beds, a Victorian bandstand, and a war memorial.

Royal Castle Hotel

A historic coaching inn dating back to 1639, located on the quayside with architecture reflecting the town's 17th-century heritage.

St. Petrox

An ancient church situated at the mouth of the River Dart adjacent to Dartmouth Castle, largely rebuilt in 1641.

Mick Knapton / CC BY-SA 3.0

St Thomas of Canterbury

The Church of St Thomas of Canterbury is situated in the village of Kingswear in the English county of Devon, it stands in a slightly…

Compass Cove

A secluded shingle beach located south of the castle, accessible via the South West Coast Path.