War Horse

Thanks to the release of the popular film War Horse, co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, Dartmoor National Park is a must see destination when coming for a holiday in South Devon.

The box-office hit, released in the UK on 13th January 2012, focuses on the captivating story of a farm boy from Devon, Albert Narracott (played by Jeremy Irvine) who grows attached to his young horse, Joey. After a heavy downpour which destroys the family’s turnip crops, his father, is forced to sell the horse to the army so that he can pay his rent. The blockbuster takes the audience through a moving journey about how Albert joins the army in search for his horse Joey after he is shipped to France during the First World War.

Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston also have roles in the movie and castings for extras were held in Devon during July of 2010. War Horse received great reviews and was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, 5 BAFTAs and 2 Golden Globes.  

The splendour of Dartmoor National Park can be seen during lots of scenes in War Horse with many weeks being spent filming on the moors. Locations including Haytor, Combestone Tor, Venford Reservoir, Meavy and Sheepstor were used in the movie and Steven Spielberg seemed quite taken with the area. The Hollywood director praised the beauty of Dartmoor, saying "I have never before, in my long and eclectic career, been gifted with such an abundance of natural beauty as I experienced filming War Horse on Dartmoor."

Many of the locations used in War Horse are in rural areas on Dartmoor but are still within short driving distance of the major centres of Plymouth, Totnes and Exeter, so if you're planning to visit the filming locations, check out our various accommodation pages to book your stay, if you would like to stay on Dartmoor, take a look at some of the options available here.