The Watermans Arms

United Kingdom , Devon
TOTNES, Bow Bridge Ashprington
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100 reviews shown

8/10

Excellent

13 Jun 2026

stewart

Would recommend and would use again if in the area.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2026

Julia

The room was very clean with everything you needed for the bathroom, loads of tea and coffee, clean kettle, lots of sockets for charging gadgets.
Breakfast was very good, lovely and hot.
Nice atmosphere in the bar and other eating places.
Staff very friendly, Paul and Gayle are excellent hosts made me very welcome.
Would stay again.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2026

Elizabeth

nice clean room great customer service

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2026

David

Breakfast was very nice and varied with both cooked and continental.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2026

MANDY

What an amazing hidden gem ! Beautiful old property next to river with kingfishers. Staff fantastic so accommodating with our needs . Lovely rooms , comfortable beds, en suites lovely modern and clean. Fresh smell throughout whole place. Evening meal fabulous and breakfast too . Highly recommend. Many thanks to Paul, Gail, George, McKenzie & Katie who all made our stay so good .

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2026

Glynn

Amazing staff, really caring and helpful!

Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2026

Peter

All was nice

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2026

Jessian

Clean room, excellent location, beautiful surroundings and great food and friendly staff. We had a lovely breakfast as well

10/10

Exceptional

27 Mar 2026

Mike

Really enjoyed my stay here beautiful lovely pub, great food, staff were all really friendly, would definitely go back. Hiking Mike

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Mar 2026

Gary

Nice welcome, great people and a wonderful location, food wasn't bad either.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2026

Michael

Great spot, so picturesque by the river. Room was very clean and pleasant. Staff lovely, very friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. If looking for a break in a beautiful Devon pub, strongly recommend The Watermans Arms.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Dec 2025

Simon

Everything was wonderful

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Dec 2025

Jodie

Incredibly gorgeous and cosy welcome - log fire burning! Lights twinkling. Friendly staff. Room was good for a family - but chilly but staff offered to turn up heating! Lovely pub and good food.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2025

Denis

Staff and rooms were great

Business

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2025

Edward

very friendly and great service

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2025

john

lovely stay in a proper pub.staff helpful and friendly.no wifi but people talked to each other.good food and beer.fabulous surroundings Great

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Sep 2025

Georgia

Needs a refurbish in the en-suite

Staff very welcoming and friendly, on going into our family room deluxe I found a nightie hanging on the back of the bathroom door, Who ever supposedly cleaned that room obviously need’s a refresher course, the bathroom itself could do with a very good clean even a refurbishment, Breakfast was lovely good choice of food and again very attentive staff,

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2025

Verified traveler

Amazing location

We have stayed in better superior rooms. There was also an undercover area directly outside our room and if that had been busy, the noise would have been unacceptable. Breakfast and location was amazing.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Aug 2025

Arthur

A well-hidden little reverside gem

A somewhat quirky place with super helpful staff, great rooms (fabulous en suite) and an interesting menu. The food was absolutely first class - well presented and very tasty. It was just a one night stay for me after a few days' camping but I'll certainly look to return for a longer visit next time I'm in the area. Brekkie was pretty good as well.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

19 Aug 2025

suzanne

Nice stay in a beautiful location but frlt accomodation needed a bit of TLC.
Staff very nice but no one around when we arrived to check us in and we waited in the empty bar for 15 mins. Likewise coming down for breakfast and check out there was no one around.
Rooms were clean but were very dated and areas felt like they needed a good clean. Our room was ok but smelt like someone had been smoking in it.
Wifi was dreadful. It disconnected around 8pm so we couldnt use phone or watch TV. Didnt come back on. Wifi only worked in bar area.
Food was really lovely though. Tea and coffee in room was nice. There were bathrobes but i wouldnt want to wear them.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

19 Aug 2025

Gillian

Beautiful setting by the river, but everything else was terrible!
Filthy dirty and untidy reception desk (photo available) ,sticky floors and surfaces throughout upstairs and down, Musty smelling bedroom with view from window of stacked rubbish, scaffolding structure? and generally a neglected outlook which was the theme throughout the premises inside and out - neglect and unclean.
An alternative room was offered with views of the river, but again was musty smelling and we were told that if we chose that room it was above the front door of the bar below so potentially would be banging shut throughout the evening. Not ideal.
I couldn’t access the internet or get a phone signal which apparently was available although I tried and it didn’t work at all, as was discussed with the person at the bar who was not at all helpful.
The ‘Reception’ person booking us in, was very abrupt in fact stating she was too busy and was serving in the bar as they couldn’t afford a receptionist…
We weren’t prepared to stay somewhere so dirty so walked away and had to locate another place to stay subsequently No refund, part or otherwise has been given and no apology was offered.
It is nothing like what is advertised , we have stayed in many places but never experienced anywhere as awful as this place! I find it hard to believe all the positive feedback left….based on our experience.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Aug 2025

Margaret

Food was excellent and lots of choice.
Staff were friendly and nothing too much trouble
An excellent stay

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2025

David

Only one night stay as working in the area
Great position by the river
Foodies would love the menu also pizza bar available which was very popular on the Tuesday night I stayed.
Dogs loved playing in the river

4/10

Poor

05 Aug 2025

joseph

Flaky paint generally tired ,an old English country pub very pretty from the outside in a scenic spot .Inside remnants of old drinking establishment smell of old beer and cigarette smoke with a general stickiness to most surfaces .staff were pleasant ,pizza was ok but stake was mostly fat .
The bed had a spring poking out or it and the sofa bed had a small piece of foam for a mattress

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2025

Peter

The accommodation was excellent 👌 and the staff were very friendly and very polite the food was excellent and cooked fresh the surrounding area was very picturesque and serene well recommended stay

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Jun 2025

Lindsay

Easy check in, comfortable bed, and room was very clean.

Beautiful location by the river, lovely to sit outside with a drink.

I was surprised how quiet it was on a Friday night. I had a good night's sleep.

Breakfast was average.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

30 May 2025

Jacqueline

Disappointing

Lovely situation but scruffy grounds, could do with a tidy up. No complaints about delux room on inside,very clean & comfortable, even thought to put summer duvet on bed, which had a comfortable memory foam mattress. However extractor not working in bathroom & would have preferred a walk in shower, but not given the choice. BUT pub’s outside covered terrace was hard up against the window of these first floor rooms with people eating, drinking & smoking & children playing table tennis (even at 8.30 am) so unable to move around in room unless fully dressed or to have the window open (in summer) unless prepared to put up with the noise & smell of smoke. This is not suitable for a delux room at £185 a night! Also no view due to the obstruction, see photo. The food was very good, but small eating areas & very crowded due to a 2 for 1 offer on pizzas. Not suitable for a restaurant type meal. Overall disappointed. Would not come again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

26 May 2025

Annie

Really lovely place to stay for a night . Great location . Good breakfast,I’m not so keen on most being fried . The sausages are frozen 8’s. Not my taste. Staff very friendly and efficient. A lovely traditional pub and served us a fabulous Irish coffee.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 May 2025

Mark

Great overnight stay on way down south

Room smelt a little musty and the bed slightly soft but everything else was lovely - no complaints really

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 May 2025

Valerie

Beautiful pub opposite a babbling brook. So pretty. Made welcome from the start. Lovely double room with all you need. Great breakfast that sets you up for the day and ate there each of our four evenings. Food very good. Would highly recommend so long as you are happy to drive down very narrow country lanes and reversing back every so often as they are one vehicle roads.
Part of being in the country as is being woken by the bleating sheep, quaking ducks and flying geese. Loved it.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 May 2025

David

Superb accommodation in an old Inn.
Wonderful location.
Will definitely recommend to persons looking for a quiet, relaxed and authentic stay in the countryside.

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2025

Amanda

Fantastic stay & beautiful spot beside the river

The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, we were made very welcome, another room was found with less stairs for my elderly aunt I was travelling with, everything we needed, home from home, very comfortable bed, wide range of food served within the inn, delicious I can recommend the seafood bisque!
We will be staying again.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

30 Apr 2025

Glynn

Great location to stay very picturesque

Room was too hot and had a distinct wet dog smell and the shower cubicle was too small to get in properly

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2025

Suzannah

Sunny and by the river!

What a superb location and setting! A delightful place.
On arrival I was shown to my room and informed about meal times.

The service at dinner was great, I was warmly welcomed.

Unfortunately, in the room next to mine, there was a snorer- all night I was unable to sleep properly. This was very unfortunate as I had a physically demanding day ahead.

All in all I would recommend this place and would like to visit again, next time, bring the dogs!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2025

Thomas

Lovely pub in a beautiful part of South Devon right next to the river with a friendly team behind the bar. The room was warm and cosy with a great breakfast. Evening dining was also good and the pizza was amazing!

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

Short break

Was a pleasant stay , the room was comfortable but just needed a spruce up a few cobwebs here and there ,the room we had was next to a seating area straight outside window ,so could probably be noisy in the warmer months as people would drink outside more ,also had to keep curtains closed for privacy,the staff were excellent and breakfast nice but only served from 8-30 till 9-45am so if you wanted a early start you might be disappointed,had meal in restaurant was very nice but not a big choice

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Apr 2025

Austen

Idyllic setting! Very good food. Friendly staff. I had a budget room which was about adequate. TV was so small it couldn’t be watched from bed. There was a motor running intermittently during the night and that was more disturbing because of the otherwise rural silence perhaps with the chuckle of the tributary of the Dart outside my window.

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

13 Apr 2025

paul

A really nice place with lovely lady owner and great staff who were keen to help at every stage. Food was excellent. Pizza great. Room basic but clean and functional and all in all a good place to stay - would happily go back again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Mar 2025

Barry

Hospitality like it should be,from beginning to end.
Well done all at The Waterman's Arms.
A memorable birthday surprise for my wife.
Thank you again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Feb 2025

Hannah

Super service

Travelling alone for business can sometimes be uncomfortable but the great service here made me feel relaxed and at ease

8/10

Excellent

24 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

Nice place to stay but...

Pretty location. Pleasant stay in a nice room in the annexe. Good breakfast and decent food in the evening.

The only issue really is access. It's in the middle of nowhere with steep narrow single track roads that are pretty treacherous and stressful in the dark and bad weasther.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2024

nigel

Watermans arms

Lovely old building full of charm but modern fittings very well heated, clean,comfortable,quiet and excellent breakfast ten out of ten.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2024

Alison

The staff were so friendly and helpful. They made me feel so welcome and nothing was too my trouble.

Breakfast was superb and the room was clean and spacious.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2024

Ian

Best hotel in Totnes area

Fabulous hotel. Lovely rooms, delicious breakfast and super friendly staff. We would not stay anywhere else in the Totnes area. We have returned several times already.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2024

Kay

We had a very relaxing stay, the food was excellent and the staff were really friendly. We will definitely make a return journey.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Sep 2024

John

Breakfast was superb service excellent
The bedroom was very cold

8/10

Excellent

31 Aug 2024

David

Great spot

Stayed for a couple of nights over August bank holiday (with our dog). Great pub grub, lovely staff and spacious room.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

25 Aug 2024

sonia

The room looked tried and in need of an update and the bed mattress was too soft and had a dip in the middle which made it uncomfortable.
The bathroom had an unpleasant smell, however on a positive the staff were friendly and the breakfast was good.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2024

Fiona

We love staying here

This is an amazing place - beautiful situation, wonderful food, wonderful service, great family rooms

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

19 Aug 2024

Colin

Woukd not stay again nothing else around our room smelt damp not good for your breathing my husband did struggle

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Aug 2024

Christine

Lovely location, delightful staff and comfortable rooms. Our second stay!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2024

H B

Comfortable bed lovely position friendly staff
Excellent food

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2024

Diane

Absolutely wonderful stay. Warm welcome from the friendly family run establishment.

We had 2 days of complete peace and calm. Food was great and breakfast sublime.

Sitting on the garden terrace was a real treat listening to the babbling brook and sounds of the wildlife.

Definitely one for those who want to slow down and escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jun 2024

Debra

Really welcoming, lovely food, great nights sleep, absolutely beautiful setting. Will be back . Thank you

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2024

Glynis

Brilliant location and caring staff.

A stunning location and the staff were fantastic. My wife was ill and they specially made scrambled eggs for her on the evening. We had to come home early due to a recall from our doctor and they couldn't have been more concerned it checking that we were fit to travel. Highly recommended and we are planning to return once my wife is better.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2024

Amanda

A night away

Location good, outside spaces as in by the river, the open sided barn and the front of the pub very nice. Breakfast adequate, staff very friendly.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2024

Robert

Excellent

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Jun 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely location very nice room friendly and helpful family running pub

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2024

Jason

Peace at last.

Restaurant first class but small. Food 5 star. Breakfast lovely and plentiful. Room quiet and large with good array of furniture. Bathroom a little tired needs overhaul. Staff amazing and attentive. Expect poor internet but that’s location.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2024

TIMOTHY

Idyllic picturesque property 1st class host and staff beautiful room and good food
Only downside is internet access but really if you stay in a location like this ‘who cares”
Very difficult to fault

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2024

Joanne

Excellent riverside, country inn, friendly staff.

Really lovely location, friendly staff and beautiful room. The food is reasonably priced and very tasty.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Apr 2024

Dr C M

Great pub and nice hotel

Beautiful tables next to river Dart.
Cosy pub.
Rooms clean and staff very helpful.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2024

Ian

Watermans Arma

We had an amazing stay. Everyone made us feel so welcome.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2024

Clive

When a wonderful pub and staff, absolutely outstanding, we were well looked after from the time we arrived until we departed, room and meals superb no complaints whatsoever, would we stay again, most definitely, we love the place

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2023

louise

The staff are so welcoming and helpful we loved that .Room was nice but lots of cobwebs and could do with a deep clean .we had no room service there wasn’t a sign to put out but got clean towels day 3 . Outside needs a good sweep and clear around .Staff definately what makes it a good stay

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2023

Verified traveler

Friendly family run inn in a beautiful setting with an excellent breakfast

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 Aug 2023

Lauren

A pleasant stay but attention needed to cleanlines

The hotel & safe were very pleasant but unfortunately the cleanliness and smell let it down.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

07 Aug 2023

Michael

Great pub for a beer!

Fantastic old pub doing nice beers.A great place for a drink in great scenery.
Our accommodation was little tired and needed updating.The menu was a bit predictable and basic. We were put in the overflow dining area on the Saturday night which was not very nice.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2023

sarah frances

Watermans Arms

Beautiful location, excellent friendly service and delicious breakfast

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2023

Jeff

Everyone should go there.

Friendly family run business in a beautiful setting. Excellent food and service. Good clean rooms and easy parking.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

06 Jun 2023

Mr K M

Just had a fantastic stay at this wonderful country pub.
Superb setting and convenient location for the Dart valley.
This is exactly what an old English pub should be, full of character and very friendly and helpful staff. The breakfast is extensive and all cooked to order.
Will definitely visit again if we are down this way.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2023

Neil

A real gem, fantastic.

Beautiful hotel amd pub, location is bliss, great food, friendly service from start to finish, a real gem.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2023

Ian

Comfortable accommodation

Very pleasant stay at this quaint local inn.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2022

Sally

Value for money stay.

Really polite and friendly staff who went over and above to make our stay enjoyable and relaxing. Lovely food both for dinner and breakfast. Highly recommend and will be returning.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Sep 2022

James

This B&B is in a really stunning spot, with a lovely beer garden out front. Was very serene.

Check in, check out and service was always efficient and good.

Breakfast was good maybe 7/10 but again the service in the breakfast room was great.

The room itself was nice, very clean and using large bottles of soap etc is more sustaianble than miniatures. The shower was quite difficult to get the right temperature and the walls are a little thin.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2022

Verified traveler

Deceptively spacious, quaint inn.

Lovely location on the river Dart. Clean spacious rooms and really good food

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

22 May 2022

Neill

Nice stay

We have stayed here a few times and always found it comfortable and friendly.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2022

Samina

Beautiful place to stay

Located on a beautiful setting with parking just outside. Located 15mins from Totnes.
Staff very pleasant and welcoming. For a family of five we had a comfortable stay even had a cot bed put up for our one year old.
They even say dogs are welcome, not that we have one, but nice to see that it’s very inclusive.
Food was fine. Maybe less pork based options may have been better. However they did do vegetarian substitutes for breakfast that was very nice.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Dec 2021

Dawn

Homely 17th Century experience.

Lovely hotel friendly staff very helpful, food is excellent!

Business

8/10

Excellent

18 Oct 2021

stephen

Enjoyable night away

Lovely location, friendly staff and good food.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Sep 2021

Andy

A lovely country pub with a lovely beer garden,very friendly and helpfull staff,clean and tidy room at a fair price.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

31 Aug 2021

Fernando

Lovelly location.
Excellent staff very friendly.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

14 Aug 2021

Ann

Great little place to stay

Very friendly place to stay, clean comfortable rooms and good food. Loved sitting by the river, watching the fish.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Aug 2021

Pretty hotel by the river

Lovely hotel in a beautiful spot by the river. Only a couple of miles from Totnes and nice and quiet. Really friendly staff and comfortable room - great breakfast selection. Very much enjoyed our stay and would return.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

The staff were amazing nothing was too much trouble, very friendly, huge portions of food with smaller options available, lovely peaceful and natural atmosphere the perfect getaway we came home after just one night completely revived.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Brilliant service. Very comfortable.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jul 2021

gillian

Very relaxing stay away from the hustle & bustle of the beaches .
Brilliant weather with excellent outdoor eating by the Bow Creek .

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jul 2021

elaine

2 night holiday

Lovely location, great room and service

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2020

Katherine

Excellent place to stay near Totnes.

Clean comfortable hotel, friendly staff, delicious and plentiful breakfast. Towels and bedlinen lovely. Location outstanding.

Self

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2020

L&P

Riverside location was idyllic. Parts of the room were tired (eg missing bathroom light fitting, cracked sink, etc) but it was very clean and the lovely friendly staff and great home-cooked food more than made up for that.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Sep 2020

Frances

Beautiful , peaceful spot spot and the friendliest staff

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

11 Sep 2020

Trevor

No room cleaning allegedly because of Covid restrictions.
Stayed 1 night and checked out.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2020

Rasgika

Beautiful location, very warm and attentive staff and lovely people all round. It was a great trip.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2020

David

It’s a fantastic location, staff are fantastic and friendly. Great food and Service, would definitely stay again and recommend the Waterman’s Arms.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2020

Nick

Great location and friendly staff

Had a great stay! Took paddle boards with us and headed down the river - was stunning. Great rooms and friendly staff. Happy to recommend!

Partner

4/10

Poor

16 Feb 2020

Nigel

In need of some care and some modernization. Outside entry to the hotel reception was messy and the constant presence of a full ashtray right next to the front entrance was very off putting

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2019

Linda

Riverside near Totnes

Comfortable, traditional riverside pub. Room spacious and well furnished. Good full English breakfast, meals in the pub were good. Very friendly attentive staff. Would stay here again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

This was a delightful place to spend an evening and one night. We come from USA and this is our idea of an English Country Inn Good food & beer... Comfy room

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2019

Andrew

Watermans

The overall experience was far better than expected. The location was picturesque and peaceful. The bedroom was spacious with a comfortable hypnos style bed and a bath which was a bonus. The service and food was excellent. Looking forward to our next stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

Great setting, friendly staff and interesting roads to get there!

Leisure Family