Ilfracombe Pub Explorations

Our summer pub ticking in Devon finally reaches the north coast where we made Ilfracombe our base for a couple of nights.

I have a feeling it's always rained when I've visited Ilfracombe previously so it was nice to be treated to a bit of sunshine.  At least until the torrential downpours on our final night - the night that Mrs PropUptheBar decided to put my shoes outside to 'freshen up'.

We ambled up Capstone Hill, visited the chapel above the harbour which doubles as a lighthouse (reputedly the oldest lighthouse in the country), and tried to make our minds up if we actually liked the Damien Hirst statue.

Handily on the main route from our B&B to the Harbour was a pub on my radar - the Hip & Pistol: a one-time beer guide entrant, listed as selling Bass on WhatPub.
But, on approach we found it had been renamed 'The Hip @No8'.
Looking more like a bistro than a proper pub.
And surely not a very likely source of Bass.

Hip & Pistol (8 St Jame's Place, Ilfracombe, EX34 9BH)
And so it wasn't - a summery-looking creation called 'Islander' from Exmoor Brewery being the sole cask.
"What's that other one with the turned-around pump clip?", I asked after my beer had been poured.  Which opened me up to an explanation that clips turned around meant the beer was off at the moment.
But then..."It's Bass - it'll be back on tomorrow".

The Exmoor Islander was, incidentally, a fine pint on good form, enjoyed on the patio on a warm evening.

But of course we went back the next day...

It was an odd place, the Hip.  Funkily modern, with enormous TV screens and all manner of quirky decorations.  Attracting a real mix of customers, from the bar-blocking locals to returning holidaymakers proclaiming "they've changed it's name".

And to complement the Bass, there's even a bit of mild smut in the gents...

Dangerous curves ahead...

Second Stage (Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, EX34 9AJ)
The danger ahead turned out to be a skittles alley slap-bang in the middle of a pub - something I've never come across before.
"Take two steps closer," ordered the chap behind the bar.
That's nice of him, offering us to take a closer look at the pump clips.
Nope.  "You're standing on the alley and you'll soon know about it if one of them balls hits you".

Parked cars getting in the way of my pub picture, again

The pub takes its name from being across the road from the Landmark Theatre - the one that looks like a mini old school power station on the seafront.
We took our glasses of GT Ales 'Blonde Ambition' to a table tucked next to the bar, safely out of the way of the skittles and pool players.

The Second Stage was the one of two Ilfracombe pubs listed in the Good Beer Guide.
The other one involved a trek away from the seafront onto the main shopping street.
The no-nonsense signage gives it away as Cask Union.

The Wellington (66-67 High Street, Ilfracombe, EX34 9QE)
This was originally two neigbouring pubs, now combined into one.  Through the front door, the right-hand side looked a cosier option, but was taken up by the pub quiz.  Heading left we were in the main bar, with a pool room up a couple of stairs to the back.

Doom Bar, Wadworth '6X', or Coombe Brewing Co 'Beach Blonde' were the cask ales on offer.  Good value at £4.80 for a pint and a half of the local brew. 
Not a bad beer, despite the long time it took to pour ("It's a lively one").  We had the motorcycle racing to watch on a TV behind the bar as we waited - you were never far from some sort of sport on TV in the Wellington.

Whilst it was a card game keeping the folks entertained at the next table.

The George & Dragon, back near the harbour, is said to date back to 1360 and I do like to visit the oldest pub in town.

George & Dragon (4 Fore Street, EX34 9EB)
It was here, many years ago, that I ordered a pint and a Bailey's, the Bailey's causing much puzzlement to the young Spanish bar staff.  They conferred in whispers before proceeding to pour the Irish cream into a half-pint glass.  I think we stopped them before it reached the top but it was still more Bailey's than anyone sensibly needs. 

I'd guess it was the landlady who served us this time, chatting to a group of regulars, and looking like she knew what measure and type of glass to serve all drinks in. 
An Exmoor 'Gold' for me, with Sharps 'Sea Fury' being the alternative.

The George and Dragon was a pleasant place, with grand wooden beams and the feel of an unspoilt old pub, although calling in as they were winding down for the evening meant it wasn't a very exciting visit.

Just for good measure, we made an end-of-the-evening trip to the town's Wetherspoon's, the Admiral Collingwood (Wilder Road, Ilfracombe, EX34 9AR).
Where I discovered that I really didn't need a pint of 7% perry from a box in the fridge as a nightcap.

Photographed in the daytime - purpose-built and picking up an award at the National Pub Design Awards in 2015.