Lee Mill is part of the rich heritage of Ivybridge, which was known for its cloth making, and nowadays the original mill is home to a small out of town shopping centre near the river Yealm. A traditional South Devon town with a rich heritage, Ivybridge is off the beaten track but easily accessible from the A38 Exeter to Plymouth road. Ivybridge nudges the edge of Dartmoor National Park and so is surrounded by beautiful countryside and moorland, and only five miles from the beautiful sandy beach at Mothecombe in the South Hams area of Devon. The town’s name comes from the original medieval packhorse bridge over the fast flowing River Erme, which powered Ivybridge’s mills and is well worth a visit, having been replaced by a modern bridge in the 19th century. As a gateway to Dartmoor National Park, there are plenty of trails leading you out of Ivybridge and into the surrounding countryside, including the Two Moors trail leading eventually to Exmoor. The town centre buzzes and has an excellent selection of good coffee shops, welcoming traditional pubs and interesting small independent retailers selling quality local produce and arts and crafts. Ivybridge is an ideal spot to stay in order to explore the best of South Devon’s moors and coast.
