This building has not changed externally for years, although internally things have fairly recently changed with the addition of a restaurant. The pub sign suggests the pub to be C17th however I think this only applies to the building(s) which is in fact a row of 3 cottages. The restaurant with the flat roof is not a recent addition, the photos directly below are from from 1910 and 1930 respectively. The buildings exterior really hasn't changed much for years!

The earliest directory listing is that in the PO directory of 1895, William Crews was resident. Indeed he was still resident in 1939 (Kelly). The Crews family, were the grandparents of R. Cowley, a local builder. Cowley and Jack Packer were responsible for most of the building in Whipton from the 1920's.

In May 2006, the pub was the subject of a planning application for conversion to flats;
The Village Inn, 54 Whipton Village Road, Exeter. Partial change of use from public house (Class A4) to retail (Class A1) on ground floor, change of use from dwelling (Class C3) to 5 self-contained flats on first floor to include front, side and rear extensions at first floor level, parking and associated works; 06/0263/03.

The work was carried out in September / October 2006, the Inn losing it's flat roofed restaurant area to allow for the creation of the flats. The inn is now much smaller.

Stuart Callon Copyright ©2000-2006