Princetown is a village located within Dartmoor National Park in Devon, England. It is the principal settlement of the civil parish of Dartmoor Forest. The village has its origins in 1785, when Sir Thomas Tyrwhitt, then secretary to the Prince of Wales, leased a large area of moorland from the Duchy of Cornwall estate, hoping to convert it into good farmland. He also proposed that a prison be built on Dartmoor to house the thousands of captives of the Napoleonic Wars and the later War of 1812. The site was given by the Prince of Wales, who held the lands of the Duchy of Cornwall to which the whole moor belonged. This is why the settlement is named Princetown. Princetown is the site of Dartmoor Prison, which was built in 1806 and is still in use today. Princetown is also home to the National Park Visitor Centre, which offers exhibitions and displays about Dartmoor’s history, wildlife and culture.

Andy C

June 15, 2025

Public toilets available by the Park Visitor Centre

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Elevation 470 m

Weather

Today

Thursday 4 December

5°C

3°C

10 %

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Max wind speed: 27.0 km/h

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Take Me There

Location: Dartmoor Forest, West Devon, Devon, South West England, England, United Kingdom

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