Bel Tor is located on private land on the left hand side of the road as you leave Poundsgate travelling on the B3357 in the direction of Dartmeet.

 

It is claimed that good fortune will be had by those who see the reflection of the rising sun in water that may be collected there. Obviously you would need to get permission from the land owner to do so, which in itself would be good fortune!

 

Pictured left is Bel Tor courtesy of Guy Wareham.

One of England's oldest pubs, the Tavistock Inn (pictured above) dates back to about 1413 when New Bridge was built. However, it is renowned on Dartmoor for being the scene of a very sinister tale involving the Devil himself.

 

Jan Reynolds was a young tin miner, a drinker, gambler and womaniser. So bad were his problems that Jan sold his soul to the Devil in return for gold. This allowed him to further his obsessions, so much so that forgot his pact with Satan. One Sunday morning a group of 'church dodgers' were having a few pints in the Tavistock Inn when they became aware of the sound of galloping hooves on the road outside. The horse and rider stopped outside the inn upon which a dark stranger dismounted and purposefully strode into the bar. He was dressed from head to toe in black and had an menacing air about him. The stranger paid for ale with a gold coin. People close enough to him could hear a sizzling noise coming from the stranger’s throat as he drank his ale and strode out. When the landlady looked at the gold coin once more she found only a few pennies and a pile of dry, eaves. However, this stranger was looking for someone - Jan Reynolds. Needless to say, when the stranger found Jan it did not end happily for the young man.