Castle hotel
Bovey Castle
Moretonhampstead, Devon
Level 1 Historic HouseLevel 1: a Grade II* listed Edwardian mansion, not a historic castle. The castle name was adopted after it became a hotel.
Some rooms inside the walls
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Bovey Castle is a castle hotel in a Grade II* listed Edwardian mansion near Moretonhampstead, Devon, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Built as a country house in 1907, it took the castle name once it opened as a hotel in 1930. It suits guests who want a grand country stay rather than a medieval castle.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 1: Historic House
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- 1907
- Architecture
- Jacobean style mansion (also described by the hotel as Neo-Elizabethan)
- Heritage status
- Grade II* listed
- Rooms
- 59
- Star rating
- Five-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 8.6 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Dogs
- Dogs are welcome for £25 a night, including bedding and a bowl. They must be six months or older and house-trained, are limited to one or two per room depending on room type, and are not allowed in the Great Western Grill, Oak Bar or Adam Room, or on the golf course. (hotel policy)
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Exclusive use
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Spa, Swimming pool, EV charging point, Restaurant, Family rooms, Parking, Free wifi, Accessible rooms
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Bovey Castle
Historic England lists the building as Manor House Hotel, including terraces immediately to the south east, a Grade II* listed mansion designated in 1981. It was built from 1907 for Frederick Smith, the second Viscount Hambleden, son of the WH Smith stationery magnate William Henry Smith, whose family had bought the 5,000-acre North Bovey estate. The architect is generally credited as Walter Edward Mills, and the granite mansion, with a red brick inner skin and Bath stone dressings, was completed in 1908.
The house served as a convalescent home for officers in the First World War and as a military hospital in the Second World War. After Lord Hambleden's death, the Great Western Railway bought the estate and converted it into a golfing hotel, which opened in 1930. It was then that the building took on the name Bovey Castle, according to the hotel's own history page, despite having been built and listed as a manor house rather than a fortified castle.
The sleep
Rooms at Bovey Castle
The hotel has 59 individually designed bedrooms in the main house, arranged over the first to third floors as Classic, Castle and Valley rooms, according to the hotel's own room pages. A further 22 three-storey lodges, each with three ensuite double bedrooms, stand separately in the grounds among woodland, lawns and a lake.
Guests who want to sleep inside the 1907 building should book a room in the main hotel rather than a lodge. Castle Rooms, on the first to third floors of the main house, are around 32 square metres with king, twin or double beds and views over the courtyard or woodland.
The table
Eating at Bovey Castle
The hotel's own information lists two restaurants: Smith's Brasserie, open daily for breakfast and a full menu, and the Great Western Grill, which serves breakfast to residents and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday plus Sunday lunch. Afternoon tea is served daily. Dog-friendly tables are available in Smith's Brasserie.
The grounds
Around Bovey Castle
The estate sits on the edge of Dartmoor National Park near Moretonhampstead, Devon, with a golf course, tennis courts and a lake among its grounds, according to the hotel's own site and listings of the lodges. The main house's car park has electric vehicle chargers with four dual-port units for up to eight vehicles at once.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- The name Bovey Castle dates only from 1930, when the house became a hotel. Historic England lists the building as a manor house, not a castle.
- If sleeping inside the historic 1907 building matters to you, book a Classic, Castle or Valley room in the main house rather than one of the 22 separate lodges.
Who it's for
Who Bovey Castle suits
The estate suits guests who want a large country-house hotel with golf, grounds and a spa-style range of amenities on Dartmoor's edge, and families or groups who prefer the privacy of a separate lodge. It is less suited to anyone specifically looking for a medieval or fortified castle, since the building was designed and listed as an Edwardian manor house rather than a castle.
Where Bovey Castle is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
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Bovey Castle: questions
Is Bovey Castle a real castle?
No. Historic England lists the Grade II* listed building as Manor House Hotel. It was built from 1907 as a country mansion for the second Viscount Hambleden and only took the name Bovey Castle after it became a hotel in 1930.
Who built Bovey Castle?
The house was built for Frederick Smith, the second Viscount Hambleden, son of WH Smith founder William Henry Smith. The architect is generally credited as Walter Edward Mills, and construction was completed in 1908.
Are dogs allowed at Bovey Castle?
Yes. Dogs six months or older are welcome for £25 a night including bedding and a bowl, though they are not allowed in the Great Western Grill, Oak Bar, Adam Room or on the golf course, according to the hotel's own visitor information.
Can you get married at Bovey Castle?
Yes. The hotel offers wedding services and exclusive use of the property for weddings, with its own list of recommended suppliers, according to its visitor information page.
Where do the rooms at Bovey Castle sleep guests?
The main house has 59 bedrooms on its first to third floors. There are also 22 separate three-storey lodges in the grounds, each with three ensuite bedrooms, so not every stay is inside the historic 1907 building.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- historicengland.org.uk: Grade II* listing, official name, designation date
- boveycastle.com: building history, Neo-Elizabethan description, castle name adopted in 1930
- boveycastle.com: dog policy, restaurants, weddings, exclusive use, parking
- boveycastle.com: Castle Rooms location within main house, size, floors
- visitsouthdevon.co.uk: number and layout of separate lodges