Appledore, Devon

I can hear you all saying 'Appledore? Never heard of it.' Well, neither had I until just over 5 years ago.

How I came here.

My family have always favoured North Devon and Cornwall for UK holidays and we had all spent many happy weeks in these areas relaxing and wishing that we didn't have to go back to our humdrum daily lives. Like many we'd trawled the local papers whilst on holiday, checking out the job and housing ...
...dream of our next holiday.

Well, everything changed for the whole family within the short space of 18 months. In that little time slot my husband, both my parents and my grandmother died leaving only my brother's family and my family to carry on. It was a devastating time for all of us and one which made my brother and myself take stock of our lives and wonder where we were going from there. We were both living in Northampton then, ... more

I can hear you all saying 'Appledore? Never heard of it.' Well, neither had I until just over 5 years ago.

How I came here.

My family have always favoured North Devon and Cornwall for UK holidays and we had all spent many happy weeks in these areas relaxing and wishing that we didn't have to go back to our humdrum daily lives. Like many we'd trawled the local papers whilst on holiday, checking out the job and housing situation, and like most we'd return home with regret and dream of our next holiday.

Well, everything changed for the whole family within the short space of 18 months. In that little time slot my husband, both my parents and my grandmother died leaving only my brother's family and my family to carry on. It was a devastating time for all of us and one which made my brother and myself take stock of our lives and wonder where we were going from there. We were both living in Northampton then, not our home town but one we'd become accustomed to.

My brother was the first to make the brave decision to up roots and move to North Devon. After all the bereavements this was another for me as we're close and I knew I'd miss him a great deal. He found a house in Clovelly and within a very few weeks had packed up his house and his family and after an emotional farewell, moved on. Life carried on and we stayed in touch regularly by phone. He and my sister in law would often have a little nag to try and get me to move closer to them and I'd consider it but the sensible side of me shuddered at the thought of all the hassle involved. My second oldest son (he was grown up and had left home) decided he would move down and lodge with my brother and after a while I took stock of my situation and made my mind up it was time to be brave and take the plunge.

I put my place up for sale, did some house hunting on the internet and got sheets of houses for sale from estate agents in the Bideford area. My lovely brother did the viewings for me and we finally settled on a very nice place about half way between Bideford and Clovelly. I found a buyer for my property and everything looked peachy - and then disaster. The sellers of the property I planned to buy pulled out. What should I do? Well, after some considerable thought I continued with the sale of my bungalow, arranged for a storage company to put my furniture into storage and set off one gorgeous May morning with my two youngest children (then 5 and 8) plus my son from Devon, Trent, who had come to help me pack up, and we moved into a caravan in Winkleigh. Mad? Yes probably I was a little mad and at times I couldn't believe what I'd done myself!

Then came some very intense house hunting! Typically, at that time there wasn't very much on the market, however whilst trawling the local papers at my brother's house I came across what looked like a gem in a village called Appledore. We came to view it at tea time on a glorious, sunny day in the middle of June.

The house has upside down living accommodation and as I stepped up into the living room the whole panorama of the Torridge estuary lay spread out before me, clear blue sky, navy blue water with the sunshine bouncing off it making it sparkle as though it was scattered with a myriad of diamonds. The whole estuary was peppered with jaunty little sailing boats with sails in all colours of the rainbow. On the opposite side of the estuary the village of Instow, clearly visible, nestled against the water with a backdrop of magnificent, emerald green hills dotted with trees and fluffly white sheep. To the left of my view I could see the start of Appledore quay on this side of the estuary, pastel and white Georgian houses along the main road with a jumble of cottages spread up the hill behind, overlooking the water. It was love at first sight and by the middle of July we'd moved in.

Appledore history

The village was first appears documented in 1355 with the name of Apildare and since then has been called variously Apelder, Apuldore, Applethurre, Appelldore, Appledoore and Apwldwr. According to legend in 878 AD Hubba the Dane landed in Appledore and forged inland, heading for Kenwith Castle which stood by Kenwith Lodge in the nearby parish of Abbotsham, with the aim of invading. According to the legend he only made it as far as the next village where there was a terrible battle at what is now known as Bloody Corner. Hubba the Dane was killed along with about 2000 of his men and his body is supposedly buried at the south end of East Appledore under a large stone. The place is now known as Hubbastone.

Appledore is situated at a place where the Taw and Torridge estuaries meet. It is known as a fishing village and also has a strong shipbuilding tradition. There is still a large ship yard in the village although the future is rather dicey. It was closed once about three years ago, but was bought and opened again as a going concern. After a contract recently fell through which received quite a lot of press coverage, things look rather grim for the yard though.

Queen Elizabeth the first gave Appledore free port status, supposedly in recognition of the bravery of Appledore sailors during the Spanish Armada in 1588. That status remains today,

In West Appledore stands the imposing St Mary's church, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1836. The church was dedicated in 1838. It contains a large wooden screen which was crafted from timber taken from the famous old sailing ship, the Marco Polo, which I believe is the one that sailed from Liverpool to Australia in 1852 with 930 passengers, taking only sixty-eight days to complete the journey which was phenomenal going considering it could take up to 150 days!

Appledore today

The village is divided into two parts, East and West Appledore. East Appledore is the end which you reach first as you travel in from Bideford. Here is the excellent primary school which has gained very good reports from Ofsted. Opposite the school is Anchor Park, so known because there is a huge ship's anchor standing near the top entrance to the park. The local children go here for a game of football (and sometimes the men from local fire station join in too!) and there is a small play area with swings, slide etc.

Below the park on Odun Road is the North Devon Maritime Museum. Within the museum are exhibitions of shipping through the ages with information about shipbuilding, smuggling, rope making, emigration, coopering, wreck and rescue and World War two. There is also a section devoted to the invasion by Hubba the Dane. Across the road but part of the museum is the Victorian schoolroom where children (and adults) can have a taste of what life was like for a school child back in Victorian times. Entry fees are a very reasonable £1.50 for adults, £1 for senior citizens and 30p for children. There are toilets, disabled access and a shop. Across the road is a convenient car park. Opening times vary during the year and I suggest a phone call to them on 01237-422064 before planning a visit.

Just below here on the opposite side of the road is the local fire station. It's an unmanned station and locals rush there at any time of the day or night to answer alarm calls.

Further down on the left and approaching the quay, tucked in behind a garage is Docton Court Gallery, an art gallery housed in an ancient building which is believed to have once been part of a Cistercian Monastery, part of the Hartland Abbey Estate lands. Travellers could moor their boats in the dock opposite (now called Richmond Dock) and stay overnight here before travelling on. The building is believed to date back to the 1400s.

To the rear of Docton Court is Docton House. The two were once one building but were split and sold separately. Docton House was recently bought privately and has been turned into a holiday cottage. A few years ago during renovations to the massive stone fireplace in this building, the previous owner uncovered some items believed to be something to do with witchcraft. I believe there was a cat skeleton, a small slipper and some potion bottles. I understand that the skeleton was reburied in the fireplace.

Just past the gallery is Heards butchers which sells, obviously meat, but also locally produced fruit and veg.

Round the corner now and you're walking along the quay front. There is the Co-op mini supermarket which is open from 8 am until 10 pm every day except Christmas day. You can top up your phone here, top up your gas and electricity keys and they stock an amazing range considering the small size of the shop.

Next door was the Post Office which at the time of writing this review has sadly just recently been closed. We're still hoping that someone will buy it and re-open as a post office. Next is Appledore Library - still open at the moment but there is threatened closure. We're waiting to find out the verdict. The library is open Tues and Thursday 10 - 12 and 2 - 5 and Saturday 10 - 12. There is internet access here and a wealth of books containing local information. They also keep leaflets on local attractions.

Further along is Bensons restaurant which serves morning coffee and evening meals. I haven't tried this restaurant myself but I understand that they have a good selection of fresh fish dishes. Outside the restaurant are tide clocks so you can see when high and low tides will be that day.

Further along still is Lizzies cabin which is a tiny little shop open from spring until autumn where the kids can get their fill of penny sweets and she also stocks some lovely garden plants, some of them quite interesting varieties.

Along the quay sea side of the quay are plenty of benches to allow you to sit and contemplate the lovely views across to Instow. The estuary is quite narrow here so it's possible to see Instow quite clearly and see people walking on the beach at the other side. It's very peaceful sitting there taking in the air and enjoing the sunshine. I can personally recommend it and whenever I pop down to the shop for my milk, as long as the weather is dry I sit and just drink in the peace and view. It restores your soul. Small fishing trawlers moor up here and at certain times you can buy freshly caught fish direct from the boat. There are usually chalk boards up on the railings saying when they're there next. There are also chalk boards up advertising pleasure cruises and sea fishing trips which can be booked locally.

Behind the quay running parallel runs Market St. Here is a newsagents shop, The Coach and Horses pub and The Royal pub both of which serve food. The Royal sunday dinner is brilliant! Further along is Schooners cafe and deli where you can buy some interesting local produce, home made cakes etc. to take out but also sit down and enjoy a home cooked meal or snack. Naturally you can also buy a Devon cream tea here which is excellent (yum yum). The cafe is spotlessly clean and the food great.

Back on the quay front is The Seagate Hotel which has a few seats outside as well. They serve very good food here. This is the point where East Appledore joins West Appledore.

Behind the quay are a network of small, quaint cobbled streets full of charming cottages interspersed with small galleries. It's great to just wander around here, take in the atmosphere and browse in the gallery windows. You can imagine in times gone past, the local fisherman coming home to these little cottages.

Across the road is a very large car park with the usual ticket machine (I think it's about 60p per hour but you can buy a weekly ticket at a greatly reduced rate). It's a good job the car park is pretty large as the main issue about living in Appledore or visiting is the lack of parking. At the moment it's possible to park on both sides of the road along the quay, however I think there are issues with delivery vehicles and buses so that may change in the future. Fenced off from the car park is a play area containing swings, see saw, slide and a small ship type climbing frame.

Oppopsite here is St Mary's Church. Further along are two excellent pubs, The Beaver and The Royal George. Both serve lovely food and both are situated right at the edge of the estuary. There are tables behind The Beaver where you can sit and look out over the estuary and enjoy a meal. There is also a small entry to the beach here, but be careful if you go exploring because the sand is very much shaped by the currents and quite hilly. Even locals have been caught out on a raised sand bed to find that the tide has come in between them and dry land. Another thing to be careful about is that the beach is a sort of mud/sand cross and not always too great to walk on. There are some areas that can grab your shoes from your feet if you're not careful.

Further along still is the LIfeboat station and the slip. There are some great rock pools to take the kids exploring to with their buckets and nets. In 1919 Appledore lifeboat station became the main one for the area. The building of the current station and slipway was completed in 2001. Many rescues have been launched by Appledore lifeboats and it's part of village life to hear the sudden bang and see the flare go up summoning the crew to attend another rescue.

If you're looking to holiday here you should be well catered for as I recently read an article which said that between 30 and 40% of dwellings here are holiday homes.

Events

Each year there seem to be more and more events added during the summer months and locals and visitors alike are drawn here to watch and take part. The first one of the summer is the Appledore Arts Festival which usually takes place over four days during the first week of June. It's a fun time, the quay is decorated with banners and flags with much input from one of the local schools. There is a decorated door knocker competition and many of the locals spend weeks crafting original decorations for their front doors. There are events set out in marquees and tents all along the quay front for visitors to take part in. I've seen paper boat making, rock sculpting, drumming (I stayed clear of that one lol) and artists displaying their work. There is a general festival atmosphere during the four days and it's well worth a visit. The majority of events are free to participate and children and adults are welcome. Rather than me waffle on about it, you could visit their website at www.appledorearts.org.

Next in line is the Appledore and Instow regatta which is a great day out and well worth a visit. It's usually held near the end of July or beginning of August. There is boat racing, rowing competitions, events for the children such as the slippery pole slide and there are tents along the quay selling interesting bits and pieces and snacks.

Somewhere toward the end of August there is a crabbing competition which adults and kids alike flock to bearing bait and crabbing lines in the hope of winning the competition by weighing in the largest catch.

Surrounding area

Already mentioned is the village of Instow on the opposite side of the estuary, which is a 15 minute drive around. There are cafes, restaurants, pubs, art galleries etc and the beach is much drier and sandier on that side and good for sunbathing and sandcastles.

Carrying on along the coast from West Appledore is the seaside resort of Westward Ho! It's a bit livelier here with arcades, restaurants and pubs along the front. The beach is excellent for surfing and also swimming and sunbathing. There are several car parks, but they do get pretty full during high season.

Northam Burrows is a great country park comprising of 650 acres of sand dunes, salt marsh and grazing. It's separated from the Westward Ho! beach by a pebble ridge and near the beach is a visitor centre with interactive displays and brilliant information on the eco structure of the surrounding area. There are toilets here too. It's an unspoilt area and apart from a burger van and an ice cream van (try it - it's locally made using clotted cream by the family firm of Hockings - you'll view ice cream differently after a lick of this!) there is nothing for the kids to pester you to spend your money on. It's free to walk on to the Burrows and access the beach, however if you drive on during the summer months it costs £3 per day to park. Keep the ticket as if you wish to leave and return during the same day you can re-enter using the same ticket.

Bideford is the nearest town and a 15 minute drive away. It has a recently built, smart new quay. The main shops are in the High Street and there is a small Woolworths, Poundstretcher, Superdrug, Boots and New Look. Off here is a road leading to the Pannier Market which is an indoor market selling all manner of things both local meat and veg and bric a brac. Mill St is a cobbled lane which leads off from the High Street has plenty of little gift shops, a small supermarket and some clothes shops. On the way in to Bideford is a large Morrison supermarket with a petrol station. Bideford evidently features as one of the top ten places to celebrate the new year.

About ten miles away is the North Devon county town of Barnstaple. This is much larger than Bideford and certainly worth a visit. There is an indoor shopping area called Green Lanes with many of the larger shops like BHS, Woolworths, Top Man etc. In the High St is Primark, Evans, Argos, Iceland, Marks and Spencers, Boots and Superdrug. There is also a Pannier Market here which features different types of goods on different days of the week. In the surrounding streets are plenty of gift shops, eating places and pubs.

Well, if you've read this far, WELL DONE! I hope you've enjoyed what you've read and I hope you come to visit soon.

Just a silly footnote here - I have seen more rainbows in the 5 years I've lived here than I've seen the whole of my life. That can't be a bad thing can it?

 

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