UK's BEST Seaside Towns (Appledore, Devon)

Appledore, Devon

 

At the end of a short peninsula on the north coast of a long one lies a village on the road to nowhere – and for that I love it.

My first sight of Appledore, three miles north of Bideford, was eight years ago when the Beaver Inn emerged from the swirling December mist like the world’s last hostelry. Inside, most customers seemed to be playing a strange local card game. Observing from the bar, I had no idea this would soon be my local – at least for the duration of every visit.

Mist rolling up the Torridge estuary to Appledore Quay is a regular feature, but when the sun comes out, the village looks a different place. With views of dunes and the open sea, it’s a time capsule from a 1950s summer: children rock-pooling, parents sampling Mr Hocking’s local ice-creams.

Other pubs include The Champ, for local real ales and The Beaver for live music. You’re spoilt for choice of cafes: both the Market Street Kitchen and the award-winning Coffee Cabin do excellent cappuccinos. The nearest sandy coastal beach is a couple of miles away but what keeps bringing me back is the ever-changing river scene.

Stay The Seagate is a 17th-century waterfront pub with doubles from £85.
Richard Guise, author of Over the Hill and Round the Bend, and Two Wheels Over Catalonia

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