The Oxenham Arms Hotel Devon - South Zeal

4-star historic inn on Dartmoor with a Neolithic standing stone built into the hotel

Dining

The Oxenham Arms Hotel holds an AA Rosette for quality dining, with a menu built from high-quality local produce. Seasonal lunches, evening meals, and bar food are served in the restaurant with views of Dartmoor, and the bar-first licensed in 1477-offers a selection of ales listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. Dietary options are available, including gluten-free choices and a dedicated kids' menu.

Rooms

Bedrooms at the Oxenham Arms Devon retain original wooden beams and stone walls, with each room decorated with antiques and offering a TV and en-suite bathroom. Several rooms feature superking four-poster beds, including the room where Charles Dickens once stayed for a month. The Bovey room contains the 25-foot Neolithic menhir behind the wardrobe, a stone dropped into place around 4500 BC.

History & Grounds

The hotel is a 12th-century manor house built around the South Zeal Menhir Standing Stone, a 12-ton granite monolith that sits inside the snug. The building served as a Benedictine monastery before becoming an inn, and the 4-acre monastery gardens include a 5000-year-old standing stone. A granite Tudor porch leads into the bar, where a log fire burns beneath beams that have witnessed visits from Francis Drake and David Bowie.

Activities

Guests can join in-house walking guides for tours of Dartmoor National Park, or borrow free bicycles from the hotel to explore the surrounding Devon lanes. Bike tours, golfing, horse riding, hiking, pub crawls, themed dinner nights, and classes about local culture are all arranged by the concierge. Public transport tickets for nearby Exeter (20 miles) and car hire are available, and the A30 road lies 3 miles away.

Pet-Friendly & Services

Dogs are welcome in the public areas of the Oxenham Arms Hotel Devon, and the hotel provides a minimarket on site plus a chapel and shrine. Airport shuttle, luggage storage, private check-in/check-out, and 24-hour security with CCTV are all offered. Car parking is free and includes accessible spaces, and a shuttle service covers local destinations.

• History: 12th-century monastery with a 4500-BC standing stone indoors
• Dining: AA Rosette-awarded restaurant using local produce
• Rooms: Superking four-poster beds and antiques in historic rooms
• Activities: Free bicycles, in-house walking guides, and Dartmoor tours
• Location: South Zeal village, 3 miles from A30, 20 miles from Exeter
• Wellness: 4-acre monastery garden with ancient standing stone