The Old Sawmills Inn

Watermouth Valley sits between Combe Martin and Ilfracombe, and the old sawmill buildings here were brought back into use as a freehouse in June 2016. It is the newest of four North Devon pubs and inns owned and run by a local family, and the setting does a lot of the work: coastal paths on the doorstep, the beach a short walk away, Watermouth Castle up the road.

The bar is stocked with local ales, the kitchen leans on local produce and comfort food, and there are four rooms upstairs with Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and tea and coffee making. Inside or out, it works as a pause between stretches of coastline, or as a base for a few days. Parking is generous and set back from the road, which matters if you are unloading a car full of family.