Clovelly Village

This picture-postcard fishing village clings to a steep hillside on the North Devon coast. Its colourful, flower strewn cottages line the main stepped, cobbled street on such a steep incline that you can almost see down the chimney of the cottage below!

Clovelly is secluded, but easy to find. It hangs on a 400ft cliff less than five minutes drive from the A39, the main road from Bideford to Bude. There is an entrance fee payable to the village that covers not only admission to the audio-visual programme and two museums but also your parking. A part of the fee contributes to the substantial, ongoing maintenance programme at Clovelly which, by ensuring that slate is replaced with slate, and oak with oak, the village retains its original charm and magic.

The village is traffic free and the main street, known very simply as 'up-a-long' and 'down-a-long', tumbles its cobbled way down 400ft of solid rock to the tiny harbour and lifeboat station, both protected by an ancient stone breakwater. It is a descent through flower-strewn cottages broken only by tempting little passageways and tiny winding lanes that lead off to the left and right and offer the prospect of discovering more peaceful, picturesque treasures of Clovelly.

Visitor Centre:
It is here that visitors start their unique experience of the private Clovelly estate. Modelled on a traditional Devon long barn, the award-winning Visitor Centre houses a cafe and souvenir shops so that the village remains uncommercialised.

Attractions:
Mount Pleasant:
The grass slope offers spectacular views over Bideford Bay and is a great place for a picnic.

Queen Victoria Fountain:
Designed by Feadora Gleichen, a cousin of Queen Victoria, this memorial was commissioned in 1901.

Methodist Chapel:
John Wesley inspired a strong Methodist movement in the West Country although we are not sure he would have approved the site of the chapel adjacent to the New Inn bar.

St Peters Chapel:
This small and intimate place of worship was opened in 1846 for those unable to walk all the way up the High Street to the parish church.

Fishermans Cottage:
Visit this cottage and see how a fisherman"s family lived in the 1930s, complete with a covered well and exposed walls, which reveal their construction. In addition, there are living areas recreated as they would have been all those years ago.

Kiingsley Museum:
After browsing through the shop, visitors can watch the animatronics display of Charles Kingsley hard at work in his study, composing a letter to his bride-to-be. It gives a real insight into how it must have been in Kingsley"s day, further supported by the many descriptions and exhibits throughout the museum.

Art and Craft Shop:
Browse through the gifts and souvenirs in this cottage, with its art gallery and shop. There is something to suit everyone's taste.

Pottery:
As well as seeing exactly how pottery is produced and looking for gifts, visitors to the workshop can even throw their own pot as a souvenir, subject to supervision and a small fee. The pottery is open most of the year, but during the summer months will be open Monday to Saturday 9:30am — 6:00pm.

Oberammergau Cottage:
This particular cottage has wood carvings brought back from Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps. We have the invoice, dated 1910, to prove it!

Crazy Kates Cottage:
Named after a fisherman"s widow, this is the oldest cottage at Clovelly and has one of the best views looking right across the harbour.

Waterfall:
Visitors, who venture all the way down to the pebbled beach at the foot of the village, are rewarded not only with stunning views across the estuary, but also the sight of a lovely waterfall emanating out of the cliff face, trickling down to the sea.

Eating Out:
For a traditional Cream Tea visit the Cottage Tea rooms or Temple Bar Cottage. If you fancy a light lunch, main meal or snack why not visit New Inn Restaurant or the Red Lion Restaurant.

Please note that the High Street in Clovelly is steep and can be slippery - so do wear sensible footwear. The street is not suitable for wheelchairs, however the Visitor Centre, donkey stables, craft workshops and Mount Pleasant are all wheelchair accessible and make an enjoyable outing in themselves.