Two Bridges

After a long day walking, this is a lovely place to unwind. It feels like a home from home, with great, characterful rooms, perfect food and the best service. George, Carl and Jocelyn were all so friendly and helpful. It’s also a handy base for Wistmans wood, postbridge and Yelverton. A special spot for a Dartmoor break.

The festive cream tea was delicious, especially the warm homemade mince pie. We also had big, warm scones with plenty of cream and jam. I took my mother for a birthday treat, and the whole visit was lovely. The setting felt cosy and relaxed. We’d booked a window seat, but when a place by the fire opened up, we were able to swap. I couldn’t fault it and would highly recommend it.

Sunday lunch with a pianist is well worth recommending, and the staff are welcoming and professional. The setting is beautiful, and the cream tea is scrummy too. There’s outdoor seating in summer. Just keep an eye out for the geese!

We still enjoyed our few days away, but this visit left us unsure about coming back. We’d been here about five years ago to celebrate our engagement, and this time the mix of nostalgia, kindness and courtesy came with real disappointment. The food and service felt inconsistent, and some staff weren’t meeting the standard set by the loveliest members of the team. The Sunday lunch was the biggest letdown. It wasn’t very hot, the vegetables were raw, even though I do like mine al dente, and the sausages were pink inside. Nobody came back to check on us, so I couldn’t mention it. Service was exceptionally slow, and with very few staff around we sat for ages after finishing. We gave up on dessert and decided to return to our room for tea. When we got up, a staff member hurried to the desk, apparently to check we’d paid, and relaxed once he knew our room number. There were also problems with the bill. At check-in, Tom had offered some compensation because of confusion through the website. As we passed reception, we checked the bill and saw the adjustments weren’t there. We left it with the young receptionist to sort while we packed. When we came back, the older receptionist, whom I remembered from our previous stay, was unpleasant to deal with. Thankfully, the younger woman stepped in and said she had it under control. The bill was still wrong because items had been charged on the wrong day, and she hadn’t realised they needed removing as part of our agreed package. She was lovely and very apologetic. The total then seemed too low, so I pointed out that some drinks were missing. She thanked me for being honest, corrected it, and we paid. But after getting home and checking the printout, we spotted another drinks charge that didn’t match anything we’d ordered. We didn’t bother querying it, since the cream tea had been complimentary. The hotel has an old-world feel and a perfect location for dog owners, walkers and anyone wanting a few quiet days away. Our room was just as it had been before, but could do with freshening up, as could most of the other areas. Many staff were fabulous, especially Tom, the two younger women we met at reception, and several people in the dining room. The residents’ lounge, which seemed open to everyone, was chaotic, with several young men working there and lots of confusion and little initiative. Our reserved table still had dirty dishes on it despite three staff appearing to be free. Food and drink orders were mixed up for us and other customers. We waited a long time to be asked what we wanted to drink with our cream tea, but it arrived anyway with ordinary tea. I had to say nobody had asked me and that I wanted Earl Grey. The evening dining room menu wasn’t as good as before, though the food was still pretty good and the service there was very good.