The Odd Wheel, Wembury

The Odd Wheel, Wembury, Devon

Given it’s location just down the road from the farm it’s not surprising that this was on the agenda. I’m pleased to note that the pub is still attracting locals and tourists after being reopened in late July 2010 following a long closure. There have been some tweaks to the interior and there is now some new play equipment for the younger pub goers as well.

The number of real ales available at any one time has stabilised at 5 all of which are served via hand pump. Courage Best is still a permanent fixture but Sharps, St Austell and local Summerskills beers were available during the week and my takeaway container was busy. The Sharps Honey Gold was superb and my favourite from the week, but all the beers I tried were obviously kept well.

It still saddens me that faced with a good selection of beers there are still people who plump for the John Smiths on keg – aargh!

The Odd Wheel is a popular eating venue now and the food was good but not the best from the week – see The Foxhound below. Booking a table is strongly advised in the evenings during the peak holiday months. There are expensive items on the menu but some cheaper items are there too – and a childrens menu.

Read the full pub review of the Odd Wheel.

Clovelly Bay Inn, Turnchapel

One evening we headed over to Turnchapel after a gap of some years. The road around Staddon Fort provides some breathtaking views over the bay to Plymouth.

Turnchapel is a tiny, cramped little place and I would seriously advise not attempting to drive down the narrow hill to get to the pubs as parking is almost non-existent and finding somewhere to turn round is a challenge too. Having learned from previous visits we parked at the top of the hill and walked down.

There are two pubs in Turnchapel and the Clovelly Bay Inn is the first one you come to – on the left. It has a striking new coat of yellow paint so you shouldn’t miss it. It’s the current (2011) local CAMRA Pub of the Year – an award it stole from the Borringdon Arms just a little further up the road.

Four real ales and a real cider were available. I tried a taster of all the beers and liked the Dartmoor Legend the best followed by the Cottage Wicked Hound. My wife enjoyed the Skinners cider too.

Some might consider the food a little pricey but the quality is superb and the portions are large. The pub was initially quite empty at 6pm but quickly filled up. The atmosphere was very friendly and it would be a superb pub to have as a local. There were big smiles from all the family for the Clovelly Bay Inn.

The Foxhound, Brixton

Walked from the farm in Wembury over to Brixton one evening along the Erme Plym Trail. Our aim was to visit the Foxhound which Ron had kindly recommended to me in the comments for the Odd Wheel, Wembury review. Compared to walking along a regular pavement the walk was perhaps a bit demanding for my 6 year old but even she agreed it was worth it afterwards.

The Foxhound is on the main A379 road in the centre of the village and right next to the chip shop. There are two main bar areas and a small dining room off to one side at the back of the pub.

There were five hand pumps on the bar with some local choices (two from Summerskills) and some from further afield. Booking tables is advisable as the pub does get full of diners.

For the younger children there’s a box of toys. Bizarrely this is placed close to the bar in the larger of the two seating areas. Those wishing a child free drink may prefer the smaller bar on the right as you come through the front door.

We didn’t walk back to Wembury but used the reasonably priced local taxi firm.

You may have seen from previous posts that the pub closed in the autumn of 2009 and was for sale for many months. It appears that the owner of the Elburton Hotel in nearby Elburton recently acquired the Odd Wheel and has reopened it after a major refurb.

The focus of the pub is much more on food now but real ales are still available – including the tasty Guzzale from the local Summerskills Brewery. The other beers available last week were Sharp’s Doom Bar and Courage Best. I’m told that the real ale selection will vary once the pub has become more established.

My view is that the new Odd Wheel is better than the old version. It’s lost its quirkiness and 70s decor but now seems to be as popular and as welcoming as ever. The food is excellent and good value.

I’ll be updating my Odd Wheel pub review page very shortly.

I’ve just noticed that the marker on the Bettesworths website has moved from ‘Under Offer’ to ‘Sold’. Does anyone out there have any more information? Is it going to reopen?

This used to be a great pub with a superb selection of real ales and good food. It would be a great shame if it was closed for good.

The Double Locks, Exeter

The pub building itself hasn’t changed in that time, but what was originally a free house selling mainly Wadworths 6X became a Smiles pub in the late 90s and then a Young’s pub after the demise of the Bristol brewery.

Although a Young’s pub the beer selection does still feature some local Devon beers – notably from O’Hanlons and Branscombe Vale. Many of these are served on gravity from barrels racked up behind the bar and I’ve no proof but I bet they all outsell the Young’s own beers. The beers are all well looked after and my usual favourite is the O’Hanlons Yellowhammer (although that had run out).

The canal-side location for the Double Locks is superb in good weather and the pub is best approached on foot or by bike. By car the pub is tricky to find and then you have to drive across an extremely narrow bridge over the canal to get onto the towpath and then on to the car park.

My curse on the residents of Exeter is that is always rains when I visit the Double Locks so we have to eat and drink inside. Whilst I love the place, not all members of my family agree and liken the inside to a bus station waiting room. It’s not helped matters that sometimes the food has been a bit average in the past. This summer however it was pretty good. I still may struggle to keep everyone onside next summer.

I’ve just noticed that the Double Locks is no longer in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. I’m wondering if that’s because the competition in the area has got better – I hadn’t noticed any drop in beer quality on my (admittedly infrequent) visits.

You can read a more recent review of the Double Locks here.

The Odd Wheel, Wembury

Highlight of the week was the Odd Wheel in Wembury, near Plymouth. The farm where we were staying was just up the road and my nightly pilgrimmage down the road with a takeaway container didn’t take too long – unless of course I stopped for a drink whilst I was there.

The Odd Wheel, Wembury, Devon

The Odd Wheel is going through a period of transition from its previous incarnation as a 70s timewarp, but the new managers are keen to ensure that people have a good time whilst there. They’re also keen to carry on the Odd Wheel’s tradition of selling good quality west country beers. Whilst there I tried the following: Skinners Heligan Honey, Skinners Ginger Tosser, South Hams Devon Pride, Dartmoor Jail and Dartmoor IPA, plus one or two others that I don’t remember. Whilst I was there they also were selling Courage Best (why?), and Sharps Doom Bar made a swift appearance on the quiz night but went very quickly.

There are no handpumps on the bar – all the beers are served straight from the barrel in the cellar.

Certainly I felt like I’d been to a beer festival at the end of the week, but I was able to sip beer overlooking the Atlantic. Superb, and I can’t wait until next summer.

Read a more recent review of the Odd Wheel, Wembury here.

The Mussel Inn, Down Thomas

Also in the Wembury area, the Mussel Inn in is the tiny village of Down Thomas. My wife and I popped out here for an evening meal leaving the girls behind to be minded at the farm.

It’s definitely geared up as a restaurant but they are happy for people to just drink as well. The St Austell Tribute here was very good. The food was not bad either – although slightly let down by the desserts.