TICKING THE SEVEN STARS, DARTMOUTH – EASIER THAN YOU’D THINK

The small band of hardy GBG tickers are the jolliest people you’ll ever meet, cheerful even when spending a day travelling to New Mills for a brewery tap (only open Monday and Tuesday evenings) that’s unexpectedly closed.

Our WhatsApp group is full of helpful tips on how to cadge a pint when your target pub is closed for a wake or 18th birthday party, and recommendations for a 7th pre-emptive micro on the Fylde.

It’s always interesting to compare notes on the hardest pubs to tick; New Mills, obviously, the Connoisseur Tasting Rooms (theme emerging here), the Farnborough “club”, the Taversoe, obviously.

I was surprised to hear how many folk had failed to get into the Seven Stars in Dartmouth.

It’s an historic pub “with rooms” in a Devon tourist hot spot, and you’d think the hardest part was walking back up the hill afterwards.

Gorgeous walk down to the harbour, by the way;

And what a view over to Kingswear, who I always assumed were a naff Britpop band.

It took a few seconds to locate as my GBG app went a bit haywire,

but there were two (2) entries to a bustling bar full of posh cricket fans, one of whom mis-identified “Move On Up” as being by Isaac Hayes and then attempted to hum along.

WRONG ! shorts bloke, it was The Jam.

I liked the Seven Stars, particularly the old beer mats on the wall, despite the melting candles on table inviting a disaster akin to the self-immolation at Turnpike Lane.

Shame the Hardknot IPA was a the weakest point, but 2.5 is OK.

So why has the Seven Stars caused tickers such angst ? Well, What Pub says open every day Noon-10pm, Facebook says “ALWAYS OPEN”, but the website says “Monday & Tuesday Closed for now”, and Google Maps reckons it’s closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Who would you trust ?

Published by retiredmartin

Retired NHS, doing long walks around UK and the world to record the great bits. Focused on Good Beer Guide pubs and live music.

16 thoughts on “TICKING THE SEVEN STARS, DARTMOUTH – EASIER THAN YOU’D THINK”

  2. Been there twice. Both times their social media said they would be open. Both times a hand written note on the door said they were closed. 986 mile round trip. First time at least I had others nearby. Could be the greatest pub in the world but that’s no use if it’s not open when it says it’s going to be.

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    1. When I wrote about this on CAMRA Discourse in connection with the difficulty of putting opening hours in the Good Beer Guide, making the point about the difficulty in determining whether a pub would be open, I got a load of abuse from folk who misread it as an attack on pubs that weren’t open.

      Better a pub that’s only open two days a week from 5-8 reliably than a pub where you can’t be sure which day(s) they’re taking off. And the Seven Stars relies on tourist custom, you’d have thought.

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    1. I’m guessing that, in common with a number of pubs in tourist towns, pubs like the Seven Stars have been adjusting their hours according to staff availability as much as anything, particularly if they’re food led.

      ALL of the 100+ pubs I’ve visited in the last 2 months have been open as expected. Blimey.

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  5. Before child, Mrs PBT’s and I had several holidays in the South Hams, and both of us really like Dartmouth (Salcombe as well, for that matter).

    I thought we’d been in the Seven Stars, but after checking on What Pub, turns out it was the Cherub, instead.

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