One of the things I love most about living in Devon is that there’s always a surprise at the end of a country lane… well, yes, sometimes it may be a slow moving herd of cows, but more often than not it’s a local pottery, a cosy pub or a large sprawling country estate. And that’s what we found on a cold December day when we were invited to Shilstone in South Devon.

In early 2020, Jordan and Ollie were gearing up to start a new adventure running their own Dartmoor pub. But when they picked up the keys in early March 2020, they couldn’t have predicted that only two weeks later they would be sitting in the pub, surrounded by boxes with the country in a full lockdown.

The Mill End Hotel is a familiar landmark for us, living on the north-tip of Dartmoor. It’s set in an idyllic location next to a long-standing Dartmoor stone bridge, hugging the mellow River Teign and surrounded by rolling fields and beautiful woodland.