Clovelly, North Devon: Once Owned By William the Conqueror
The picturesque harbour village of Clovelly in North Devon was once owned by William the Conqueror.
Built into a 400ft cliff, the village has no vehicular access so residents rely on using sledges, largely replacing Donkeys, to transport goods from the bay.
The world-famous destination is a true gem of Devon, offering staggering views across Bideford Bay and a more relaxed way of life.
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.
Clovelly has been privately owned since the Elizabethan period and is still privately owned today.
This photograph below was taken between 1880 and 1914.
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.
Christine Hamlyn inherited the estate in 1884 and married in 1889.
She and her husband renovated many village cottages, hence why you see her initials in place.
The current owner of Clovelly, The Hon. John Rous, is her great grand-nephew. You can see a lovely portrait of Christine Hamlyn in her wedding gown as above in the Hamlyn’s Room at the New Inn.
The two museums demonstrate early life in the village - there is also an active Archive and History Group that is always happy to respond to enquiries.
Today, almost all the terraced buildings along the village's cobbled street are architecturally listed - making them of ‘national interest.’
As famous as the Exmoor ponies, the Clovelly donkeys are a huge draw, visitors are welcome to pose with them for selfies and they are available for children’s rides.
During the winter, you’ll be able to spot them in the woods and at other times in the picturesque stable just beyond the craft workshops.
The stables are well over one hundred years old and have been housing donkeys and horses for generations. No visit to Clovelly is complete with spending a bit of time getting to know the donkeys!
Things to do in Clovelly
Fishermans’s Cottage is found walking along the path by the side of the cottage containing the Kingsley Museum.
It is just a few yards down from the New Inn where you’ll come to the pretty little Fisherman’s Cottage, a very special North Devon attraction.
Inside the cottage, you can see how a Clovelly fisherman and his family lived in the 1930s.
The parlour is decorated with domestic treasures of the period, including simple cottage furniture, colourful pictures and religious engravings. The tiny kitchen is plain but full of period charm.
Upstairs there are two small bedrooms, a sail loft, and an attic complete with straw mattresses.
The cottage is packed with fascinating information and old photographs that give a vivid picture of Clovelly’s fishing heritage.
Like all the early cottages in the village, it is built in cob and stone.
A wall in the downstairs room has been left un-plastered to show how it was made – with a bottom layer of stones from the beach, and then a layer of cob (earth mixed with a little straw).
Wells once supplied Clovelly’s water, and older residents still remember how pure it was. In the front room of the cottage there is a typical village well.
Residents would watch the level carefully, as sometimes, in heavy rain, it could overflow and cause a flood.
After visiting this cottage, make your way down the cobbled path to The Red Lion Hotel, an 18th Century 4-star Inn that stands on the quay alongside Clovelly’s ancient harbour.
Each of its 17 beautifully decorated rooms boast a sea view.
The Harbour Restaurant offers fresh lobster, crab, sea bass, herring and other fish from the bay in season.
Along with seasonal produce from Clovelly Court Gardens, game from the estate and local meat.
The Snug Bar in the evenings is the place where you are likely to be mixing with the locals, listening and sharing their stories.
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.
A stay at The Red Lion includes entrance to Clovelly and The Clovelly Court Gardens.
Visiting the nearby Clovelly Quay and its bay is a must - they’re sheltered from all the strong westerly winds and the settlement has been here since the 13th century.
Landing a boat on the treacherous North Devon coast with its cliffs and rocky foreshores has never been easy.
As long ago as the 13th century a rudimentary quay was constructed.
Small fleets of fishing boats from Clovelly sailed Bideford Bay in search of herring and mackerel.
Building the Quay, It’s hard to imagine how the men of Clovelly managed to drag such huge boulders across the foreshore and hoist them into position.
They could work only at low tide; using ropes and pulleys, brute force and determination.
The stones had to be fitted as tightly as possible; behind them they inserted a backfill of smaller stones to create a firm bed.
It was a formidable achievement, but the result was invaluable: they had created the only safe haven for boats along the entire stretch of rocky coast between Appledore and Boscastle.
The Devon antiquary, historian and topographer Risdon, writing in about 1630, described the work as a ‘pile to resist the inrushing of the sea’s violent breach, that ships and boats may with more safety harbour there’.
Clovelly fishermen in later years certainly appreciated the effort it had taken to build the quay.
The village evolved into a bustling and prosperous centre for fishing.
Clovelly Court Gardens is another ‘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 - the beautiful pub near the harbour.
The gardens are open everyday except Christmas Day and Boxing Day, from 10:00am to 4:30pm - admission is included with your Clovelly Village ticket.
The area is full of beautiful costal walks too - the South west Coast Path is England’s longest National Trail - it runs 630 miles along the coast and passes right through Clovelly!
The Woodland Walk, or fondly known as the Long Walk to locals, takes you from the Village to the Clovelly Court Gardens.
Here you’ll find many ancient trees including a Ginkgo Tree (one of the oldest living species of trees in the world).
There are also many shops in Clovelly too, our favourite is The Donkey Shop, which offers you a select range of quality giftware, much of it handcrafted in Clovelly.
Browse the donkey-related souvenirs; vintage china candle holders, cake plate stands, and tea pots; rag wreaths; trees; pomanders; picture frames and other items of home décor; and tweed handbags, hats and caps.
Visitors to the village entering via the visitor centre are required to pay an entrance fee which covers parking, entrance to two museums, Clovelly Court gardens, and an audiovisual history guide.
Someone who recently visited said “Fantastic place to visit. We enjoyed every second.
”The pub at the bottom The Red Lion was a welcome sight after our slow walk down the very steep cobblestone hill.
”Outstanding and such a beautiful area. We had a delicious lunch, then headed back up.
We took so many photos, so much to see.”
Another person added: “Staff were amazing and the village was beautiful. Map for the kids to follow and answer questions making it all the more enjoyable.
”Would certainly recommend. Step climb but plenty of places to stop and admire the views on the way down and up!”
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