{"id":34869,"date":"2024-02-19T14:59:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-19T13:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e7f80f7c-8712-47c9-be98-554246173f0e"},"modified":"2024-02-19T15:39:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-19T14:39:21","slug":"clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do\/","title":{"rendered":"Clovelly, Devon: What to see and do"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Explore the timeless, traffic-free village of Clovelly on the north coast of Devon, and find cosy pubs, cobbled streets and locally caught lobster <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By countryfile\n      <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Monday, 19 February 2024 at 13:59 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>Built into the cleft of a cliff on the rugged <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/search?phrase=north devon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">north Devon<\/a> coast is the historic fishing village of Clovelly. In its secluded location, sheltered from the prevailing south-westerly winds, the village was once a bustling fishing port, famed for its mackerel and herring.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where is Clovelly?<\/h2><p>Clovelly is a village located in North Devon, England, approximately 10 miles west of Bideford and around 50 miles northwest of Exeter.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who owns Clovelly?<\/h2><p>The Hamlyn family acquired <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clovelly<\/a> Estate in 1738, and it has remained privately owned ever since.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who lives in Clovelly?<\/h2><p>With around 80 cottages, two chapels, two hotels and five farms, full time occupation is a condition of tenancy for residents of Clovelly. <\/p><p>Interested in living in Clovelly? Contact Clovelly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/living-in-clovelly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Estate Office<\/a>.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to do in Clovelly<\/h2><p>The village\u2019s single cobbled main street \u2013 known simply as \u2018up-a-long\u2019 and \u2018down-a-long\u2019 \u2013 tumbles past whitewashed cottages festooned with flowers, until it reaches the picturesque harbour. The steep street is broken by tempting little side alleys that offer tantalising insights into the village\u2019s history.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"\/><p>Although tourism has overtaken fishing as the village\u2019s main industry today, Clovelly has kept its maritime heritage alive with two popular annual festivals, the <strong>Lobster and Crab Festival<\/strong>, held at the beginning of September every year, and the <strong>Herring Festival<\/strong> in November.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2018\/09\/GettyImages-524889562-e4d310e.jpg\" alt=\"Clovelly harbour Devon England UK beautiful coast village and port\" class=\"wp-image-18377\"\/><\/figure><p>The narrow street descends 122m (400ft) in half a mile, making it too steep for motor vehicles and thus a blissfully traffic-free place to spend the day. For centuries, donkeys were used as the main form of transport, but today the donkeys have a less taxing role as models in tourist photographs.<\/p><p>Halfway down the main street is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/things-to-do\/seeing-clovelly\/fishermans-cottage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fisherman\u2019s Cottage<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 the only cottage in the village open to the public \u2013 that shows you how a fisherman\u2019s family lived in the 1930s. Nearby is the <strong>Kingsley Museum<\/strong> in honour of the author Charles Kingsley, who had a childhood home in Clovelly and cites the village as inspiration for <em>The Water Babies<\/em>.<\/p><p>Further down the main street is <strong>The Look Out<\/strong>, where villagers used to sit waiting for the fishermen to return home safely; today it\u2019s the perfect vantage point to look down on the beautiful 14th-century harbour and out across Bideford Bay towards Exmoor.<\/p><p>When you reach the dry-stone quay, which during the festivals is alive with food stalls and live entertainment, you\u2019ll find the oldest cottage in Clovelly, <strong>Crazy Kate\u2019s Cottage<\/strong>, named after a fisherman\u2019s widow who died in 1736. The story goes that after watching her husband drown while fishing in the bay, she spiralled into madness and one day put on her wedding dress and walked into the sea to join her husband in his watery grave.<\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-landscape_thumbnail\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"724\" height=\"483\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2018\/09\/GettyImages-524889632-bd7e850.jpg\" alt=\"Clovelly harbour Devon England UK beautiful coast village and port\" class=\"wp-image-18379\"\/><\/figure><p>Compared to the days when Clovelly sheltered up to 100 fishing boats, today only a handful of small vessels reside in the harbour. One of the boats, The<a href=\"http:\/\/www.galawebsite.co.uk\/about-gala\/clovelly-picarooner\"><strong> Picarooner<\/strong><\/a>, is a replica of a boat unique to Clovelly. Originally built in the 19th century, these boats were named \u2018picarooner\u2019 from the Spanish for \u2018rogue\u2019 or \u2018rascal\u2019, because they could get out to sea faster than heavier boats in the pursuit of herrings.<\/p><p>Harbourmaster Stephen Perham cares for another replica picarooner Little Mary that you can see in the harbour today. As one of the last of Clovelly\u2019s fishermen, he keeps the village\u2019s traditions alive by using her to catch those tasty silver darlings.<\/p><p>Find out more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/clovelly-events\/lobster-and-crab-feast-10th-anniversary\"><strong>Lobster and Crab Festiva<\/strong><\/a>l and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/clovelly-events\/clovelly-herring-festival\"><strong>Herring Festival<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful information <\/h3><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get there<\/h4><p>Clovelly is just off the A39, 10 miles west of Bideford. The nearest train station is Barnstaple. Buses run to Clovelly from Barnstaple and Bideford.<\/p><p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/clovelly.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Clovelly Visitor Centre<\/a><\/strong><\/p><p>Bideford EX39 5TA. T: 01237 431781.<br\/>Admission to the village: adults \u00a35.95, children (7-16) \u00a33.75. This includes access to the Visitor Centre Car Park. Book <a href=\"https:\/\/www.clovelly.co.uk\/tickets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online<\/a>.<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to stay and eat in Clovelly<\/h4><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.redlion-clovelly.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Red Lion Hotel<\/strong><br\/><\/a>Clovelly, Bideford EX39 5TF. T: 01237 431237<br\/>Perched on Clovelly\u2019s ancient quay, this cosy, friendly hotel has 11 rooms with sea views that are decorated with a nautical theme.<\/p><p>For more ideas of places to stay, from self-catering holiday cottages to hotels, check out\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.holidaycottages.co.uk\/cottages\/clovelly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">Holiday Cottages<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.booking.com\/placestostay\/city\/gb\/clovelly.en-gb.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">Booking.com<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tripadvisor.co.uk\/Hotels-g186251-Clovelly_Devon_England-Hotels.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener sponsored nofollow\">TripAdvisor<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking for more inspirational Days Out?<\/h4><p>We have lots of guides and features about Devon. From the scenic railway the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/days-out\/tarka-line-devon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Tarka Line<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/elberry-churston-and-fishcombe-devon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Elberry Cove<\/a>, as well as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/go-outdoors\/walks\/best-walks-in-devon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">best walks in Devon<\/a>.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore the timeless, traffic-free village of Clovelly on the north coast of Devon, and find cosy pubs, cobbled streets and locally caught lobster <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":34870,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do.jpg",1600,1070,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do-300x201.jpg",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do-768x514.jpg",768,514,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do-1024x685.jpg",800,535,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do-1536x1027.jpg",1536,1027,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/02\/clovelly-devon-what-to-see-and-do.jpg",1600,1070,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Explore the timeless, traffic-free village of Clovelly on the north coast of Devon, and find cosy pubs, cobbled streets and locally caught lobster","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/34869"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}