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
Family history of the present owner of Clovelly, The Hon. John Rous
Zachary Hamlyn, who was born at Kennerland Farm in Higher Clovelly, made his fortune as a lawyer at Lincolns Inn and purchased the estate for £9,438 in 1738. He died unmarried and left the estate to his nephew, James, on condition that he changed his name from Hammett to Hamlyn. James married Arabella Williams, heiress of a Welsh estate, Edwinsford in Carmarthenshire. He was created a baronet for public services.
Their son James (2nd Baronet) married Diana (née Whittaker). Her share of her father’s fortune was used to improve the estate, including the construction of the Hobby Drive. Work started during the Napoleonic Wars, assisted, it is said, by French prisoners of war. It and other coast path carriageways were completed in the period of high unemployment after 1815.
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