Lydford is an Anglo-Saxon Village whose roads and paths have remained very much unchanged for more than 1000 years. It has a fine church, the clearly defined site of an early Norman fort, a well preserved 12th-century castle (used as a notorious Middle-Ages prison), a runic stone commemorating the Viking invasion of Lydford in AD 997 and still intact Anglo-Saxon earth-bank defences.

There are also the spectacular Lydford Gorge, owned and run by the National Trust, and several other National Trust properties, such as Buckland Abbey, Cotehele House and Castle Drogo, all of which can easily be visited by car from Heathergate-Lydford.

Lydford is ideal for those who like to walk on the slopes and tors of the Dartmoor National Park, and horse-riding and golf facilities are available in the area.

For eating out in Lydford, the "Castle Inn", the "Dartmoor Inn" and the "Fox & Hounds" offer a wide range of excellent food.

The historic and pretty towns of Okehampton and Tavistock are each only about six miles away, and the cities of Plymouth (25 miles) and Exeter (30 miles) are also easily accessible by road.

Lydford is nearly equidistant between the north and south coasts of Devon and near to the border with Cornwall. Beautiful coastal villages such as Boscastle, Clovelly & Tintagel in the north, and Kingsand, Cawsand & Polperro in the south are also easily reached. A drive of little more than an hour, mostly along the A30 trunk road, will take you to the famous Eden Project near St Austell in Cornwall.