Morwellham Quay

Dartmoor National Park


Morwellham Quay is part of the southwest's Mining World Heritage Site and offers intriguing insight into the copper boom that gripped west Devon in the 1860s. Then, this port beside the River Tamar saw tonnes of ore loaded onto masted vessels. Recently, the BBC filmed its series Edwardian Farm here. Costumed guides show you around, but the highlight is the atmospheric trip into a copper mine on a little underground train (adult/child £4.50/3.50).

You can also explore the cottages, smithy and cooperage of this lost community, as well as pan for copper, try on a bonnet or waistcoat, and watch potters and farriers in action. The last entry is two hours before closing. Morwellham Quay is 5 miles southwest of Tavistock.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Dartmoor National Park attractions

1. Cotehele

1.57 MILES

At the head of the Tamar Valley sits the Tudor manor of Cotehele, one of the Edgcumbe dynasty's modest country retreats. The cavernous great hall is the…

2. Garden House

3.28 MILES

The enchanting blend of landscapes here make this garden one of the best in Devon. Its 3 hectares encompass wildflower meadows and South African planting,…

3. Buckland Abbey

3.38 MILES

Founded as a Cistercian monastery and abbey-church in the 13th century, Buckland Abbey was one of Henry VIII’s ‘acquisitions’ during the Dissolution of…

4. Tavistock Museum

3.71 MILES

Remnants from Tavistock's now vanished abbey sit in this traditional but excellent museum alongside artefacts of the town's copper-mining heyday. Look out…

5. Merrivale Stone Rows

7.4 MILES

These two parallel stone rows are up to 260m long, with large stone slabs, or 'terminal stones' at the eastern end. In the centre, hunt out the circular…

6. Antony House

8.51 MILES

Owned by the National Trust and occupied by the Carew-Pole family, this house's main claim to fame is its decorative gardens, designed by the 18th-century…

7. Dartmoor Prison Museum

9.04 MILES

In the early 1800s, Princetown's infamous jail was home to French and American prisoners of war. It became a convict jail in 1850, and today still houses…

8. Port Eliot

9.11 MILES

This glorious country estate is the family seat of the Earl of St Germans. The Grade I–listed house is open for three months of the year; guided tours of…