Name: The Elephant's Nest Inn
Address: Horndon, Tavistock, Tavistock, Tavistock, PL19 9NQ, United Kingdom
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Heating

Garden

Terrace

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Rooms

Accessibility features

Accessibility

Coffee/tea for guests

Diet menu (on request)

Breakfast

Restaurant

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Free parking

Parking

Pets allowed

Pets

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the guest house

Plymouth Airport

Exeter International Airport

The Elephant's Nest Inn

Tavistock

This was a visit best forgotten. 

We arrived at what we had assumed to be a pub (described as B&B in a pub setting) at around 6pm and to our surprise the car park was empty. Following signs to the main entrance revealed a notice telling us that it was not open till 6.30 but as we made our way back to the car we were intercepted by a lady who asked if we were staying there. 

She took us back to the car park and in through the back door to the accommodation area. The door mat being very worn made it difficult to wipe the mud and gravel from the car park off our shoes which probably explained why the stair carpet looked so tired. And there was an unusual smell in the entrance hall that I could not quite identify. 

The bedroom was spacious with reasonable hanging and drawer space plus a small fridge. However the bathroom lacked any shelving for personal items so it was sponge bags on the floor. 

We went down for dinner at around 7.30 - usually peak eating time but there was just one table laid up and we were the only diners all evening which does not make for a pub atmosphere. It turned out that the pub was closed a few years ago hence the phrase “in a pub setting”.  

It was a warm evening which made it somewhat frustrating when we discovered on going to bed that the window in our room would not open so there was no means of cooling it down. 

All in all it was far from the experience we’d been looking forward to and I could not recommend this place

A disappointing experience

Amazing place with lots of character. A warm welcome and great bar. We’ll worth ordering food to eat in - had the 16th century inn all to ourselves. Really comfortable room and nice and clean. Enjoyed our night away. 

Great character B&b

We enjoyed 5 nights here which gave us easy access to the Moor. The rooms were very spacious and with lovely views. We tried the restaurant for dinner the first night and decided to eat there every night afterwards, and the breakfasts were amazing - such choice and good portions. Thank you Denise and Hugh (as well as for spoiling the dogs!)

Lovely dog friendly B&B with great food

Extremely disappointing and would advise you to avoid at all costs! We arrived to find the place deserted, rang and rang the number and knocked on multiple doors (multiple times!). Then eventually the landlady appeared asking "are you staying with us?". Ummm, no just thought I'd hang around in your car park looking lost for 20mins for the shear fun of it?! We were showed to our room and on first appearances seemed ok, but the more you looked the more you didn't really want to! So much muck and dust. Every surface I had to wipe with antibac wipes, which I luckily had packed. I even made the mistake of catching sight of behind the sink in the bathroom, as I was washing my hands. The thickest, biggest cobweb covered in thick layers of dust, so obviously hadn't been cleaned in an absolute age. The fridge was in the wardrobe, one of the most bizarre places, when there was plenty of other floor space it could have been placed. Only 1 tiny bin in the bathroom, so for saying we had our dog (and all her food packaging etc) with us as well as snacks for ourselves, just having one small bin was completely inadequate. The enclosed patio was ok, but stagnant water in an old bowl wasn't a great first impression, especially with a dog. Beds were SO soft! I guess if you're used to/like a soft mattress then that wouldn't be a problem, but it made for a very uncomfortable and sleepless night. The next morning the breakfast room followed the same theme as the bedroom regarding standards of cleanliness. Every surface was pretty much covered in layers of dust, there were a couple of blue bottles flying around, so we didn't even want to touch the dried up looking fruit salad or the butter that was out in the open. As with a similar previous review the landlord and landlady didn't ask at all how our night's sleep was, how we found the room, what our plans were for the rest of our stay. All pretty standard things you chat about at a b&b. It was a very strange atmosphere and vibe. Not at all homely or friendly unfortunately. We were meant to stay for 3 nights, but made a quick exit after breakfast, so only stayed the 1 night. As I was unable to find any other availability in dog friendly accommodation within budget, we decided to head home. Got home and enjoyed all the Jubilee celebrations from the comfort and cleanliness of our own home! Such a shame, as we were so looking forward to a break on Dartmoor over the extended BH weekend. I have given just 1 star....for the nice poached eggs for breakfast (felt that was the safest option!), good effective shower with plenty of hot water and (thank goodness) clean bed linen. I wish I had taken heed of previous reviews before booking and wasting so much money! Unfortunately, the whole stay had to be paid for but I knew that from the T+C's before deciding to leave early, so just had to deal with that. We couldn't have stayed there any longer. Think twice before you book!

Avoid!!

Really fantastic food, it perfectly hit the "homecooked" and "restaurant grade" mark. Hugh and Denise spoilt us (and the dog!) all weekend. 

The room was very clean and well equipped. The bed was very comfy! A provided fridge was a bonus as well. The location was idyllic and felt like it was outside a Jayne Austin novel. 

10/10 would definitely stay here again. 

Ben, Izzy + Ezra

Good for a romantic weekend away

I  read some of the grim reviews after I had booked the accommodation and was uncertain as to what I had let us in for. There was also a disparity between what Booking.com quoted for the room and what the owner (promptly) messaged me as to what the room rate was after I had booked it. That's the first time this has happened in over 5 years of using Booking.com so it was with some level of trepidation that we came to a pub that we had last visited in the mid-80s. It seemed to be locked up when  we arrived and I was just about to walk away and start looking elsewhere when the landlord appeared.  Was he as abrupt and unwelcoming as experienced by other reviewers? Probably but after  driving for 5 hours I wasn't really interested in bonhomie. Was the room (ground floor with terrace) untidy and unclean? Not spotless but it felt clean and is what I expected for the price. Did the room need some TLC? Some of the issues flagged from 2016 were still there but the room had been painted, felt clean and was ideal for us. The bed was very comfortable and we both slept very well. Was the evening meal expensive? We didn't eat there due to other plans but had (two) of the best breakfasts we have experienced in a B&B for some time. I can recommend the Devilled Kidneys but make sure you book it 12 hours in advance. Would you recommend to others? To people we know, absolutely. The view from our room over to Brent Tor to the west was excellent and the lack of people was very welcome. The breakfast was superb and not having the owners fussing over us was a blessing.

Great setting, excellent breakfast, comfortable bed,  clean room, engaging landlady, landlord as expected.

Agreat place to stay and explore Dartmoor or go riding with Adventure Clydesdales,The food was amazing, both dinner and breakfast,witha lovely warm fire on both occasions,The bedroom was lovely and warm with a small patiio where you can watch the sun go down,the hosts where obliging and wish them all the luck in the Summer 2021.

Peace

There's a confusion as to whether you can still book here as it says it is closed for the rest of the year yet we booked in July for a stay last week. A large part of the appeal was it's attractiveness as a pub but it was being run as a B&B only (the bar was closed) at an no point during the 3 disingenuous & confusing calls was this mentioned. That aside, our arrival was met with a peculiar open hostility to the extent that some of our party decided to move to stay at The Mary Tavy Inn instead and forego the money. There was huffing and puffing when anything was asked and it made for a really unpleasant atmosphere. We were on a coast to coast cycle trip and everywhere we went the Devon people were friendly and warm, this was an unpleasant blip and it's astonishing they still operate but I guess most of the custom is passing trade and there's not many return clients. The room itself was absolutely fine and the breakfast was as good as anywhere, I get that people are under so much added strain due to covid but we were there supporting the rural tourist economy. One upside is that we spent the evening at The Mary Tavy Inn where the service, food and atmosphere was excellent. Elephant's Nest? Turd's Nest more like.

Fawlty Towers

We booked to meet friends here having stayed a few times before.  I love it.  The rooms are bright, clean and very comfortable.  The beds are amazing you just sink in them.  Tea coffee making facilities in the room and a fridge with fresh milk.  Lovely functional bathroom.  Breakfast is in the pub.  Very relaxed and delicious. 

New Years Eve

We previously stayed at this pub a few years ago and had a lovely stay. The spot definitely sold it to us. We visited again as family bought us a voucher and most definitely would not return. 
When we arrived we had a cold reception from the landlord, you almost felt like you were bothering him. No small talk, no “how was your journey” etc, just felt almost unwelcome. 
We ate in the pub the first night, very limited choice for vegetarians and the price is steep for pub food. We stayed in room 1 and were told the underfloor heating would be on, well that never happened, only the heating in the bathroom. We didn’t complain as we didn’t feel he was approachable. Breakfast the following day we tried to make conversation but that didn’t really work. You felt like you were intruding and I felt quite uncomfortable. Most proprietors make small talk and ask where you’ve been, what you have planned etc but there was literally nothing. We ate out the second night at the Trout and Tipple a few miles away and had more conversation and were made to feel more welcome in the first ten mins than we were all weekend at The Elephants Nest. I highly recommend the Trout and Tipple. When we checked out once again he had a short blunt thank you for the key and that was it. Not once during our weekend there did they ask how our food, the room etc was. There was no interest. Just a case of taking the money and not interested. We had a crack in the bath panel, no heating in bedroom, not even a bin, mouldy filthy grouting in bathroom tiles and the doors to the patio were filthy, mould on the wall and the curtains on the back were mouldy and stained. Also many cobwebs, such a difference from when we stayed before, almost like the owners had lost interest and given up. Would I return to the area? Yes, but not to this pub, which is such a shame as it is in a beautiful location. With great customer service and a welcome with a smile this place could have so much potential, such a shame. Pics are of bathroom and bedroom. 

The Elephant's Nest Inn

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