‘THE Salty Sea Dog of Salcombe’ has a certain ring to it and indeed England’s Deep South had piped Captain Smidge on board royally. Our travel-loving chihuahua has been greeted in our room at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel with his own box of treats and now on the seafront of the nearest town he was being cosseted with blankets, gravy bones and the prospect of doggie beer (he declined) in a dog-friendly pub.
Welcome, Smidge; below the less welcoming waves at Soar Mill Cove
It made up for the thwarted cliff walk from Soar Mill Cove to Salcombe. High winds were lashing in from the Atlantic and the South West Coastal Path was out of bounds, not just for a canine that weighs in at under 4kg but also for his master and mistress, who were finding it difficult to stand up in the teeth of the gale even in the shelter of the cove.
So we drove the four miles into beautiful Salcombe. There a coast guard helicopter was on red alert, skittering across the sky over the choppy expanse of estuary (geeks will tell you it’s strictly speaking a flooded valley since no river flows into it). On land all was calmer, sheltered by clusters of pastel cottages, so heading for the haven that is the Victoria pub was just an excuse for a pint. From St Austell brewery, big in these parts, which also owns the Masons Arms at Branscombe, our first lodging port of call on our dog-friendly jaunt to Devon.
Branscombe Mouth, as with Soar Mill Cove and much of the south west coastline, is safeguarded by the National Trust from over-development, if not from the elements. In 2007, in a throwback to the bad old days of the Wreckers, the container ship MSC Napoli was grounded a mile out at sea in a huge storm. After 40 containers floated on to the beach hundreds of looters made off with valuable booty. ‘A Village Torn Apart By Greed,’ ranted that voice of reason, the Daily Mail.
The Masons Arms has seen it all. The masons who sculpted the stone for Exeter Cathedral from nearby quarries boozed here. Dating back to 1360, it was originally a one bar cider house in a row of five cottages, which all now comprise the pub, along with a row of thatched cottages overlooking the garden. These offer the dog-friendly rooms – ours was a touch small, but then so is Captain Smidge.
Ale and locally-sourced seafood are excellent in the main body of the low-beamed stone inn with its magnificent open fireplace, dogs allowed only in thr bar not the restaurant area. Of the St Austell’s brews I’d go for Tribute, the Cornish pale, then trade up to the hoppier, heavier PA, Proper Job.
The Old Smithy at Branscombe and, below, St Winifred's and the brooding beach
Inside are two shuttered lepers’ windows, a gorgeous Gothic chancel screen from 1660 and the 1583 tomb of Joan Wadham, mother of the founder of the Oxford college of that name. We liked the tranquil hillside graveyard – a very special place.
The saltwater pool; below, our scenic room at Soar Mill Cove
In hotel terms the same could be said about our ultimate destination, the Soar Mill Cove Hotel, a family-run but progressive operation in the most remarkable, remote location. With impeccable eco credentials, this single storey lodging that has evolved organically over three generations of Makepeace ownership, doesn’t impinge on the landscape. A new saltwater indoor pool (with a jaunty, nautical mural) has been tagged on seamlessly to the side of the hotel, whose in-house spa treatments are top notch.
Look back, as you walk through gorse and stone walls to the actual cove and the network of paths around it – perfect for dogs – and the building soon disappears from view. Inside, rooms are as big and light-filled as the landscape. Ours had expansive French windows, its own decking and a coveted view of the cove. The restaurant looks in that direction, too, and offers its own taste of the sea with a menu featuring local scallops and Salcombe crab. We can vouch for the excellence of the cream teas, but never got round to raiding the Bollinger bar!
Meanwhile, Captain Smidge was making friends. A former staff member of many years was back on assignment to sew new curtains for the hotel, accompanied by Oliver, her pet Papillon (a continental toy spaniel). Much tail-wagging. That’s what dog-friendly holidays are all about.
Factfile
Neil Sowerby stayed at the Soar Mill Cove Hotel, Soar Mill Cove near Salcombe, Devon, TQ7 3DS. 01548 561566, www.soarmillcove.co.uk. High season prices from £249 for a garden view double room to £389 for a sea view family suite. They allow small, well-behaved dogs, but not in the public rooms, coffee shop aside. 28 rooms.
En route he stayed at the Masons Arms, Branscombe, Seaton, Devon, EX12 3DJ. 01297 680300, www.masonsarms.co.uk. 8 doubles; 6 twin/doubles; 6 four-posters,£80-£180. 1 family room for 4 £165-£195. Dogs £10 per night. Branscombe is handy for visiting two of the Dorest East Devon Coast’s most remarkable resorts – Lyme Regis and Regency Sidmouth with its 500 listed building and a unique mix of 40 per cent over-65s and arty, bohemian young.
Neil learned about the Masons Arms through its inclusion in Alastair Sawday’s Special Places To Stay: Dog-friendly breaks in Britain (£14.99) does what it says on the tin – brilliantly.
Alastair Sawday, of course, is a highly recommended independent guide to characterful accommodation in Britain and abroad, the day-to-day running now in the hands of Alastair’s son Toby. Highly recommended.
For information about Salcombe visit this link. Most interesting place to visit is Overbecks Museum and Gardens , which combines stupendous views over the whole estuary and National Nature Reserve with a curious museum of taxidermy and the bizarre inventions of its owner in Edwardian times, Otto Overbeck. Both house and sub-tropical gardens are not open to dogs.
