That's the Poltimore Arms, Kim

Devon is likely to feature fairly heavily on the blog over the coming weeks, as family commitments see Prop Up the Bar decamp to the south-west coast.

Plentiful opportunity to visit some of the counties Good Beer Guide pubs.
Yet - just when I feel I've ticked off LOADS of them - a quick check reveals that I've only just topped 70 current entries - a lowly 58%.
Not that I'm keeping lists or stocking up on Stabilo highlighters - honestly!

Anyway, here's a random quartet of Devon delights...

Starting in the middle of nowhere.
Up on the edge of Exmoor, a mile-and-a-half from the nearest neighbours is the Poltimore Arms.

On a minor road junction (I think one car passed down the lane in front of the pub in the half-hour I was sat outside in the sunshine).  There has been a coaching inn on this site since the 13th century.

Poltimore Arms (Yarde Down, Brayford, EX36 8HA)
When I arrived on a weekday afternoon there were a couple from the campervan, a motorcyclist, and the landlord, with his cup of coffee and roll-up, sitting out front.

Ambling in to the bar, with the landlord following me, I asked what ales they had being as there are no hand pumps of any nature on the counter.
"Exeter Brewery. 3.6%, so you can drink a lot of it".
"If you want lager", the gaffer continued, "it's in bottles.  Tried the electronic dispensers once but they're too much trouble and with bottles there's no line cleaning".

The Exeter ale comes straight from the barrel and was on fine form.  Seemingly the drink of choice at the Poltimore, it gets a quick turnover.

Continuing to chat to the landlord, I was told that the pub is off the grid, generating its own electricity and getting water from a Spring.  Hence the Poltimore being immune to the hiked utility bills that have proved the final straw for a number of pubs who've shut their doors in recent troubled times.

In a way, the Poltimore reminded me of the Peyton Arms in North Oxfordshire: both pubs in a world of their own, far removed from the modern era of food-orientated country inns, and both with characterful landlords keen to engage you in conversation.
A great pub that I was really pleased to have found my way to.

Heading back down south, 12 miles north of Exeter at junction 28 of the M5 you'll find the town of Cullompton.
Seven and a half thousand residents and seven pubs, although I was just looking for the Pony & Trap.

Pony & Trap (10 Exeter Hill, Cullompton, EX15 1DJ)
A cracking simple town pub with one rectangular room, the local blokes sat at the end of the room by the bar covering the hot topics of the day.
There are outdoor WCs, CAMRA awards displayed on the wall, homely decorations, local cider, and an interesting choice of beers.
Including this stuff..

On good form.  In a superb pub.
I now ask Mrs PropUptheBar if she wants to pull off the M5 every time we pass Cullompton, but she hasn't succumbed to this Devon Bass temptation yet.

4½ miles from Cullompton down narrow Devon lanes (intermediate level) is the village of Butterleigh.
According to Wiki, home to just over 100 people, a public house, village hall, and award-winning blacksmith.  You never know when you might need an award-winning blacksmith.

The Butterleigh Inn (The Green, Butterleigh, EX15 1PN)
No obvious front door as I wandered along the lane grumbling that the sun was in the wrong place for the perfect pub picture.
The entrance is via a vine-covered patio to the side, taking you through to an inviting bar.  There were local blokes at the bar counter, a dog excitedly running around looking for someone to throw a ball, a few tables of folks tucking into food.  And a lady in the side room doing the ironing...

The Butterleigh Inn has clocked up an impressive 35+ years in the Good Beer Guide.  And the Hanlon's 'Simcoe New IPA' was testament to that.  Exeter 'Ferryman' and two Sandford's ciders occupied the other handpumps.
The beer was superb: I supped half of it whilst sat inside on high backed benches, then retreated to the outdoor tables to make the most of the fine Devonshire evening.

Back in Exeter, I was on what some consider the 'wrong side of the river' in St Thomas, visiting new Beer Guide entry the Sawyer's Arms (121 Colwick Street, Exeter, EX4 1JD).

A far cry from the spectacular surroundings of the Imperial or George's Meeting House, this is a rare flat-roof Spoons.
Busy with a crowd of cheery locals who were all better at getting served at the bar than I was.  It's been ages since I've had to stand at the bar waiting for any length of time to be served.
Worth the wait for a great pint of South Hams 'Sherman', £2.57 less a 50p voucher being something of a bargain for my 6.4% American IPA.

It's just 30-minutes on foot from St Thomas to the picturesque village of Ide, somewhere which would have been swallowed up into greater Exeter were it not for the ring-road acting as the city limits.

Ide is home to 586 folks and 2 pubs.  The Huntsman Inn was closed when I was there on a Monday, so just a trip to the Poachers for me.

Poachers Inn (55 High Street, Ide, EX2 9RW - web)
Looking superb with the blue sky and sun shining on the white frontage.  The leader of the Ide teenage posse told his mates to stop so as not to get in the way of my picture.  We're not in Cowley now.

Inside is a brilliant cluttered selection of various types of furniture, framed rugby shirts on the wall, and a grand fireplace with antlers displayed above the wood burner.
One chap sitting inside in an armchair with paperback and a pint, the rest of the afternoon custom basking in the sunshine out back.

The ales on offer came from Salcombe and Branscombe, alongside several real ciders.  But it was the Exeter Brewery 'Tomahawk', served straight from the barrel which I opted for.  An above average beer in this and all the other pubs on this post.

I was pleased to have made it to Ide, somewhere which I'd wrongly assumed was a tricky place to get to having thought it was further away from Exeter than it actually is.
I did, however, manage to get hopelessly lost trying to find the outdoor WCs.  Someone, who may have been the landlord, had to correct me as I was wandering half way down the garden, embarrassingly unable to follow simple directions.

And what picture would I have used to finish the post if I hadn't been able to find the loos?