Visitors to Clovelly Harbour, by Stephen Perham, Harbour Master

Harbour maintenance revealed a cannon

The sleepy harbour of Clovelly occasionally receives the out of the ordinary visitor.  Fred Partridge and his swing shovel made a very welcome appearance early in the spring to help the Harbour Master replace some of the wooden piles that help protect both the Quay wall and the boats that lay alongside.

 It is essential maintenance that we try and keep on top of every winter. In a harbour with such a long history there will always be plenty of maintenance.  It was while we removed the older posts and were having them re-situated outside the Red Lion Hotel that the cannon was spotted. Fred had dug out a sizeable pit for a post and the concretion covered cannon was just about to be buried once more. Then, my brother, Tommy Perham, noticed what appeared to be a muzzle, and quickly told him to stop. We believe it to be an Armstrong Pattern cannon dating from the later 1700’s – it has certainly generated a lot of interest amongst the tourists.

Equine film stars visit Clovelly harbour

It has been a long time since we saw a horse in the Quay pool but on a recent beautiful evening not one but two came to say hello. Jonathan Marshall, who was a tenant in Clovelly for one summer and is well known locally for his falconry displays, is also a stunt rider for shows and films.  He came with his girlfriend and her horse. Their original idea had been to take the horses for a walk in the bluebells but finding few about opted for a ride down the steep road to the beach. We were delighted to welcome such beautiful animals to our harbour where we were treated to an impromptu display on the sand. The horses have starred in Poldark, Game of Thrones and the Lloyds Bank advert amongst others.

Border Force and Australian catamaran

Even though we may feel that we are just a small harbour hidden away on the North Devon coast, we are not forgotten.  The Border Force recently made an appearance initially just to catch up with the Harbour Master and inquire about the visiting vessels sighted along our coast.  But while they were here the crew of a visiting Australian catamaran came ashore so the Border agents used their time to make their acquaintance. Obviously, there was nothing untoward on this occasion, but it is good to know that our inhospitable coast is very well protected.

Clovelly donkeys

Horses are one thing but there is nothing better than seeing our own loveable donkeys visiting the harbour.  Once a regular sight near the Red Lion, they remain very much a part of Clovelly and we are always pleased to see them.