Three things you wouldn’t expect to find on Dartmoor

The wilds of Dartmoor National Park, famous for its ancient granite tors, deep wooded valleys, rushing rivers – and also, a zoo, a brewery, and a chilli farm!

Siberian tigers, African lions, brown bears, and pygmy goats are just some of the star attractions at Dartmoor Zoological Park. Set in magnificent woodland, Dartmoor Zoo offers a fun day out for all the family and remains one of the South Hams’ most popular attractions. Watch the big cats at ‘feeding time’, feel snakes slide through your fingers, listen to wolves howl, and be amazed by the falconry display – just some of the zoo’s attractions. You can dine at the Jaguar Restaurant, or enjoy a picnic on the lawn, all within the zoo’s spectacular 33 acres of woodland. The story of Dartmoor Zoo is still ongoing, with the aim of making it a centre of excellence for research, conservation, and education; already sharing ties with Plymouth University. A winner of the Eden Channel’s Top Wildlife Attraction of the Year, the zoo was also subject of the Hollywood movie We Bought A Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

Dartmoor Brewery has been producing award-winning cask real ales for more than twenty years at its home in the heart of Dartmoor. Sitting 1,465 ft above sea level in the moorland village of Princetown – the highest brewery in England – Dartmoor Brewery continue to create fine Westcountry ale using Dartmoor spring water, the finest Devon malted barley, and the very best English hops.

Dartmoor Chilli Farm is an eco-friendly nursery and specialist grower of more than one hundred varieties of sweet pepper and chillies – everything from the “humble Jalapeno” to the flaming “Carolina Reaper”. The nursery is off grid, generating its own electricity via solar panels and wind turbine, and also harvesting rain water. Amongst Dartmoor Chilli Farm’s award-winning range are; chilli chutneys, chilli jams, chilli sauces, chilli oils, and not forgetting everyone’s favourite, chilli chocolate. All the farm’s preserves and sauces are made in the traditional way; by hand and in small batches to ensure maximum flavour. The farm works both naturally and holistically with the environment, and says ‘no’ to herbicides or pesticides, preferring hard work and natural remedy.