Coombe Cellars Inn is a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

on the south bank of the estuary of the River Teign in south

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England. It is in the parish of Haccombe with Combe, near the village of Combeinteignhead. The pub was owned by

Brewers Fayre Brewers Fayre is a licensed pub restaurant chain, with 161 locations across the UK as of August 2018. Owned by Whitbread, Brewers Fayre restaurants are known for serving traditional British pub food and for their Sunday Carvery. History The ...

until 2006. As of 2016 it is owned by Mitchells & Butlers.

History

A guide by William Hyett published in 1800 extolled the inn as "standing in a most picturesque situation" and "advancing into the tide", with the tower of Combeinteignhead church gleaming through the hedgerow elms above it. Writing at the beginning of the twentieth century, a local tourist guide stated "Coombe Cellars can also be approached by a delightful row up the river. But keep your eye on the tide. The inn makes a charming spot for afternoon tea, which can be enjoyed in the gardens, or indoors." Other tourist guides of Devon mention the inn, including

Charles George Harper Charles George Harper (1863–1943) was an English author and illustrator. Born in London, England, Harper wrote many self-illustrated travel books, exploring the regions, roads, coastlines, literary connections, old inns etc. of Britain. In lat ...

's ''The South Devon Coast'', published in 1907. Earlier in its history, the romantic poet

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tuberculo ...

also wrote about the inn, mentioning enjoying

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

spread on barley bread. At that time, the establishment was known as the Ferry Boat Inn, the word "cellars" referring to the fish cellars. These were huts in which fishermen who did not live on the coast could store their boats, nets and other fishing equipment. Some people had manorial obligations to provide fish to landowners while others were freeholders acting independently. Sea fishing was usually a part-time activity. The location has a long history, being an early base for the local fishing industry, when it had storage facilities. It was also used as a drop off point for smugglers.

References

{{Reflist Pubs in Devon