the times Saturday December 4 202152 Travel
The Hope & Anchor was
once a smugglers’ hauntin-room Ordnance Survey map and
detailed descriptions of walks are a
thoughtful touch.What’s near by?
Hope Cove has two little beaches with
rock pools and a sea wall you might
recognise from the 1980s comedy The
Supergrass (Robbie Coltrane walks its
length to the tune of Frankie Goes to
Hollywood’s Two Tribes). Turn right from
the pub and South Milton Sands and
Thurlestone are an easy stroll away. Turn
left for the tougher walk to Salcombe,
along arguably the UK’s loveliest
seven-mile stretch of coast. Dartmoor
National Park is a 30-minute drive away.
Susan d’Arcybrandy parfait with rosemary and sea
salt focaccia (£7) and cauliflower and
chard ravioli (£7), while mains range
from a rich and spicy lamb tagine (£15)
to pub classics such as catch of the day
(£17) and burgers (£14). Breakfast is a
generous spread served in the first-floor
Lookout dining room and deck, with
knockout views over Bigbury Bay.
Bedrooms are decorated in deep
greens and blues, with dark-wood beds
and dressing tables, velvet armchairs and
chesterfield sofas. All but one have sea
views and all have a soundtrack of gulls
— and creaky floorboards. You will
hear your neighbours padding about
and even their alarms going off, so light
sleepers should pack earplugs. Theoff nature’s colour palette for the
surrounding sheep-studded fields and
red-clay cliffs. Globe lights dangling
from coils of rope and vintage photos
add to the “me hearties” ambience.
These days it’s more about snuggling
than smuggling, with a collection of
board games encouraging guests to hole
up for an afternoon by the bar’s two
wood-burners. It’s a convivial, relaxed
space so popular with dog walkers that it
occasionally feels like a Crufts afterparty.
At weekends the regulars may even treat
you to a few tunes on the piano.
Dinner is hearty fare geared towards
those who have been yomping that hilly
coastline or messing about in boats.
Starters include tasty chicken liver andWhat’s the story?
The inn has hunkered down in the
sleepy village of Hope Cove in South
Hams, Devon, since the late 18th
century. Its owner, St Austell Brewery,
took advantage of lockdown to refurbish
the pub and its 12 bedrooms so that its
interiors now match its lovely location.
What do we like?
The cove is embedded in an appealing
nook of the South West Coast Path,
surrounded by imposing headlands and
beaches. The pub’s makeover brings a
contemporary spin to the moodiness of
its original incarnation as a smugglers’
haunt. Low-beamed ceilings are now a
dusky pink and walls a cosy sage, riffing
The Times
hotel guide
The Hope &
Anchor Hotel
Hope Cove,
Devon
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Bedrooms have been given
a contemporary makeoverSusan d’Arcy was a guest
of the Hope & Anchor.
B&B doubles from £89;
mains from £11
(hopeandanchor.co.uk)