Visiting Clovelly
Clovelly is a beautiful, picturesque fishing village, steeped in maritime atmosphere and history. It was once owned by the Queen of England!
Book TicketsBook a stay in Clovelly
The Red Lion Hotel is an 18th Century 4-star Inn that stands on the quay alongside Clovelly’s ancient harbour in North Devon. Each of its 17 beautifully decorated rooms boast a sea view.
To wake up to the sights and sounds of Clovelly’s ancient fishing harbour and the sounds of the sea at the Red Lion Hotel is a unique and unforgettable experience.
The Red Lion
Clovelly Court Gardens
Clovelly Court Gardens are a must see whilst visiting the famous village. Plants thrive in this sheltered sunny corner of North Devon, which has the added benefit of the warmth the Gulf Stream brings.
You’ll find neat, carefully tended gardens and beautifully restored Victorian greenhouses within its old walls. The incredible variety of fruits & vegetables grown here supply the Red Lion Hotel. You can even take some home with you!
Clovelly Court Gardens
Clovelly activities & shops
Check out our shops, galleries and museums. Try your hand at our arts & crafts workshops, charter a boat for a fishing trip or take a stroll along the beautiful cliffs, beaches and through the village. The choice is yours in Clovelly!
Things To Do
History of Clovelly
Originally the estate was owned by William the Conqueror, King of England, gifted to his wife and then had many royal associations until 1242 when first acquired by the Giffard family. Until the middle of the 19th century Clovelly was unknown to the outside world. It was partly as a result of Charles Kingsley’s ‘Westward Ho!’, set in and around the village, that visitors began to come.
History of Clovelly
November 18th 2018 is the time of year when the historic, fishing village of Clovelly, North Devon, celebrates its annual Herring Festival, which is held to promote these tasty, nutritious Silver Darlings and support carefully managed fishing.
The village once depended on the harvest of herring, which are caught in superb condition for a short season off its coast. Records go back over 400 years and in 1749, there were a hundred herring boats in the port. When fishing was good, 9000 herring could be landed at one time. Those days of massive catches are long gone and there remain just two herring fishermen who still employ sustainable fishing methods using drift nets and long lines.
Maritime historian and writer, Mike Smylie, will be there with his “Kipperland” exhibition, which is devoted to the history of the herring. He will also be turning herring into delicate-tasting kippers and bloaters in his smokehouse.
There’ll also be net making, flax processing and a Curragh on show provided by ‘Flaxland’.
Quay kitchens will be serving a variety of delicious herring specialities with chef demonstrations, beer tastings and local food and craft stalls.
Throughout the day there will be live music, street entertainment, face-painting & henna Tattoos, an exhibition of Clovelly herring fishing, The Herring Hunt and the AONB event-themed children’s craft activities.
Standard admission charges include all entertainment.
Please note that you can travel by bus from Barnstaple and Bideford to Clovelly. Click on https://tisconmaps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/South%20Wes… for the Stagecoach South West timetable.
Clovelly Herring Festival featured in:
http://www.boatstories.co.uk/fishing-for-clovelly-herring.html
Countryfile Magazine
Channel 4’s River Cottage series
http://www.visuallink.co.uk/client_media/media/184/Clovelly_Herring_Festival_2009_Video/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article6977974.ece
http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/articles/2008/11/04/clovelly_herring_feature.shtml
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/sep/20/fivebest.uk
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