The claim
In the Dartmoor village of Widecombe, famous for its fair and its song, the Old Inn stands in the shadow of the 'Cathedral of the Moor'. It is said to date from the 14th century, when masons built the church. The central rooms keep massive walls and old beams, and the garden has a stream and ponds.
What the records show
CAMRA reports thick stone walls and oak beams over 600 years old in the central section. Historic England, which listed the house Grade II on 23 August 1955, reads it differently and two centuries later: a granite rubble public house of the 16th or 17th century, U-shaped in plan, with wings added at the front in the 18th or 19th century, its older features a stone-flagged floor, chamfered beams and two large granite fireplaces. Nothing in the list entry reaches the 14th century, the link to masons building St Pancras church is tradition, and no early licensing record was found, so the claim is graded as tradition rather than as a building of the claimed age.
What to look for inside
- Near St Pancras, the 'Cathedral of the Moor'
- Garden with stream and ponds
Visiting
The Old Inn is in Widecombe-in-the-Moor, England, at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Newton Abbot TQ13 7TA. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- camra.org.uk/pubs/old-inn-widecombe-in-the-moor-148784
- www.oldinnwidecombe.co.uk/
- www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=1242574&resourceID=5
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/1768615
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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