A year or so ago I’d never heard of Shaldon, now I’ve been to 2 of its pubs and the Conservative Club.
20 minutes over the Teign bridge from the promenade, 20 minutes that tempts you with the Blue Anchor,
and this mystery pub;
I’ll get the tick over the river and then head back to one of those, I thought.
On the first Sunday in September, with schools back, Teignmouth and Shaldon were surprisingly busy.
Honest.
In fact, I was lucky to get an outside table at the London (Plague) Inn, among the boating and Beaujolais crowd.
With no-one about I popped my head in at the door to see if I might get a drink.
“Whoooooah ! No, wait outside” said mein host, and to be fair I WAS disobeying the rules on the blackboard outside. But I hadn’t even set foot inside.
The friendly greeter turned up, took my order, showed me to Table 8, brought me a pint of Otter, took my cash (Cash !), brought me change (should I tip for a pint ?, dunno). It was the only pint of cask I saw brought outside in 20 minutes.
What can I tell you about the London ? Well, the Otter glass is nice, isn’t it ?
If the beer was average, the walk up The Ness (not that one) redeemed Shaldon.
Sometimes (well, 365 days a year), I am the luckiest person in the world.
I got a bit distracted on the way down, compelled to scour What Pub for Bass or Otter.
But my attention wandered to a pub set well away from the main drag of Shaldon, in fact tucked down the bottom of a tiny alley on a quiet road. Reminiscent, in a way, of the Earl of Clarendon near Folkestone.
Not a pashmina or pullover in sight. The Shipwrights Arms couldn’t even blot its copybook by having four interesting beers on, too (joking, joking),
and a simple, lived-in feel had locals drinking tea (on a Sunday !) and discussing Miller & Carter pubs.
Not a classic, an Exeter Ferryman drifting between a 3 and a 2.5, but by now I was more interested in being inside a pub than the beer.
Right, far too much beer, so lets wobble back across the river.
Oooh, that’s pretty;
Ended up in Spoons drinker cider, didn’t I ?
retiredmartin 
Remember going here in the days when I used to smoke fags, nipped out for a swift drag and got slagged off for smoking by some people sitting inside! When I told them to bugger off, they complained to the barmaid who told them to do likewise, bless her. Nice pub though.
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This area looks really nice. I love the homes and buildings in the photos. Beer may not be great but the pubs are awfully nice looking to me.
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Really hilly inland, as well.
There’s a few pubs thst looked good down by the harbour I might get round to some time.
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“20 minutes that tempts you with the Blue Anchor,”
I’d be tempted.
“and this mystery pub”
Oooh. By the looks of it, muntins AND mullions. Heavens!
“Honest.”
Lovely photo below.
“It was the only pint of cask I saw brought outside in 20 minutes.”
Well, you did say it was a Beaujolais crowd. 😉
“Sometimes (well, 365 days a year), I am the luckiest person in the world.”‘
Married to your soulmate like me are you?
“but by now I was more interested in being inside a pub than the beer.”
Now, where have I heard that before? 😉
“Ended up in Spoons drinker cider, didn’t I ?”
That’s cause you were tipsy by then. 🙂
Cheers
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