The Clovelly Celebration of Local Ales and Cider is a great opportunity to try a few of the excellent local brews that Devon is famous for. This annual festival takes place on three days over the late May Bank Holiday, from Saturday to Monday, and drinks are served from 11am to 11pm daily. Live music and entertainment make this a great family event, especially if the weather is sunny.
Sample North Devon produce at the Clovelly Celebration of Local Ales and Cider
Ale and cider making has been a local industry for centuries with generations of brewers tweaking and improving their age-old recipes. The Clovelly Celebration showcases the local ales and ciders that are created with passion in small breweries, rather than the industrially manufactured products available elsewhere.
There's nothing more refreshing than a pint of chilled cider on a hot day, in my opinion. A festival such as this one is a great way to do a comparative tasting of a few ciders and ales without spending a fortune or exceeding the legal limit, but do take it easy particularly if you're driving. The potency of some of these brews is pretty heady!
The idyllic village of Clovelly
Any event in Clovelly will always draw a crowd as it is such a charming little place, and this bank holiday celebration is no exception. The steep cobbled streets run down to the small beach below and, thanks to the careful preservation of the village, the old cottages remain in a delightful timewarp. Well maintained and postcard-pretty, the location is quite unique.
At the very top of the famous street is the huge Clovelly Visitor Centre which is the place to start your visit to the Clovelly Celebration of Local Ales and Cider. This is where you can buy your ticket as the village is privately owned and admission is charged!
At the bottom of the cobbled street and right on the stone seawall overlooking the tiny harbour, the homely Red Lion Inn is a great place to sample a few local ales. The bar staff will be happy to help you make your choice from the dozens available. The whitewashed three-storey building was once a row of cottages. You can almost hear the hearty laughter of many-a sea captain or smuggler sharing a joke or two over a pint of ale. There's a nice walk along the waterfront past the lime kiln and the lifeboat station as far as the waterfall.
If you don't fancy walking quite that far down the hill, the New Inn is halfway down and although a little more basic, the food portions are generous and the ale is cold. Charles Dickens once stayed here and included it in one of his novels!
To avoid walking back up the steep hill with its many shallow steps, there is a Landrover service that runs up the back lane. Convenient, yes, but you do miss some of the scenery, so I suggest you wear flat shoes and at least walk down, even if you don't want to walk back up.
More things to do in Clovelly
Other attractions you might want to include as part of your visit are the Clovelly Court Gardens, the Kingsley Museum and the Fisherman's Cottage. Walking tours of the village are a great way to learn about the village history and traditions as well as hearing some amusing local tales. There are also several workshops with demonstrations and local crafts on sale.
If you have children, they will probably enjoy a visit to the donkey stables near the Visitor Centre. Donkeys are still used to pull sledges of goods up and down the street!
Have you visited this historic heritage village? Was it worth the entrance fee? We'd love to hear your praise or disappointment. If you have attended other ale and ciders events in the area, feel free to share the info with other ale aficionados in the comments box below.
Born in Cheshire, Gillian Birch moved to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity and never looked back. After 20 years, her ongoing discovery of popular attractions, quiet footpaths and local eateries has made her a fount of knowledge as she entertains readers with her informative articles on the hidden gems of Devon & Cornwall from a local point-of-view.
When visiting Clovelly there’s lots of things to make your day, make a silk scarf at Clovelly Silk, create a pot at The Pottery, have a massage with hot stones and Clovelly cobbles at Calming Quay Treatments, make and create soaps at The Clovelly Soap company. So many things to do.