The Admiral Inn - Small bar with a restaurant. The bar is cosey and dark, wooden floor and candles. Real ale is served. The restaurant features a Steak Stampede on Thursday nights with steaks at extremely reasonable prices. The pub's history is fascinating. The Admiral Vernon Inn was originally situated in a more central village location in the Church House. The Church House was destroyed by fire in 1871. The Bell Inn further up Chudleigh Road was re-named the Admiral Vernon in 1883 and is now the Admiral Inn (2003), having evolved from the Admiral Wine Bar and Restaurant.
The Admiral Inn closed in May 2006 after a buyer for the business failed to materialise.
Alphington Horse Fair and early village history, Coaching houses, Floor Plan

The Double Locks - Well worth a visit. Quite a walk from Alphington, about 20 minutes. Go down Grace Road to the canal and go over the footbridge. Turn right and keep walking. Amazing selection of beers and good food. Adventure playground for the kids (and older). Good barbecues in the summer. Camping ot the back for those who want to drink late and start again early. Often hear stories of people falling in the canal while walking home. The track is only 10 ft wide so be careful, but falling in? Impossible! The pub incorporates the oldest lock house in England. The locks were installed between 1698 and 1701 and it is very likely that an original lockhouse / hotel was built at this point. Stables were added by James Green when he extended the canal in 1827.
The History of The Exeter Canal.

The Crawford Hotel - Undergoes more facial refits than Michael Jackson, the latest was in June 2000. Annoying but often amusing anecdotes on a blackboard every morning as you crawl past in your car.

Buddle Lane To Exwick
The Village Inn - Old pub in Lower Exwick. Start a pub crawl here and then head over the river to St Davids. An old coaching house. The Ostlers room and arch to the courtyard are still in place. The adjoining buildings are also very interesting especially the one with the turret on the corner. This may well have served as a look out post for the Coaching Inn, many of which also took in mail coaches requiring a fast change-over of horses. Formerly the Lamb Inn and prior to that The John Bull. The original John Bull was part of the old Exwick Manor House which no longer exists.
Lower Exwick Mills, Old School, Flood Prevention Schemes.

The Thatched House - Looks like an old pub but is in fact an old farmhouse converted to a pub in 1937, having been converted into three cottages in 1932. Originally built in the early 1600's, the pub still retains beamed ceilings, alcoves and fireplaces. The farmer's name is remembered in Guy's Road. Foxhayes was only a tiny hamlet for hundreds of years, Winchester Avenue was then known as Cleave Drive.

The Green Gables - The City Brewery bought this site and opened the pub in 1935. Was originally known as the Kings Arms and served the Broad Meadow housing estate finished around 1923. Designed and built by RM. Challice and Son. A strikingly ugly pub, the sound of which puts fear into the hearts of many a taxi driver. You'll have to wait outside. They will not venture inside. Green roof and kind of "dutch gable".

The first landlord was George Ernest Castle (formerly ran the Bristol Inn in Sidwell St), he was succeeded by Reginald Gordon Wyatt in 1955. This man had run the Railway in St Thomas.

The Barley Mow - This pub was built to blend in with the neighbouring houses in 1963. The Barley estate was built on the slopes of Barley House. An original Barley Mow Inn existed in Cowick Street. Resident in 1823 (Pigot) was R. How.

The Exe was tidal as far as Exeter up until 1282 when the Countess decided that a barrier should be placed across the Exe at a place now known as Countess Wear. She wanted to raise the river levels to allow leats to power her mills. One of these was Countess Wear Mill. Ships were able to pass the original wear but her successor, Hugh de Courtenay extended the wear, closing the gap. The Countess has historically got the blame for shutting down trade to Exeter via the river but it was not all her fault. Trade was thus forced to pass through Topsham docks owned by the Courtenays where imports and other trade were greatly increased. The City was eventually allowed to remove the barrier by Henry VIII, however the profile of the river had been altered to such an extent by the barrier that the river was never again navigable up to the Quay. In 1563 John Trew from Glamorgan was contracted to build a route towards it. Carriage to the port of Topsham was forced onto the road and the route to Topsham along Topsham Road became very busy, until the Exeter Canal was completed.

Going back even further, an O.S. Map of 1890 shows the Countess Wear Inn just to the north west of the river further down the by-pass, just before the Countess Wear Bridge. The original pub was demolished with the construction of the by-pass in 1938 and this place built to replace it.
See the Bygone section for more information.

The Country House Inn - Topsham Road, opposite Northbrook Golf Course. Great for a swift pint or two before and after a short round of golf. Gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings. Full of characters and character. Prior to 1928 when the Burnthouse Lane and Wonford housing estates were built this really will have been Country. The inn closed in late January 2008.
See the Bygone section for more information.

The Tally Ho - In Countess Wear Village. Close to the parish church and Village Hall. Now only has the one large lounge bar, but used to have a small public bar which was lost during a refit in the late eighties. Good food and sunday lunches. Another Olde pub full of character, formerly the Oddfellows Arms.

It makes a great place from which to visit Countess Wear Mill.
See the Bygone section for more information.

The Dolphin - Bottom of Burnthouse lane, formerly the Tap and Barrel (until Feb 2006). Was originally the Dolphin Inn, built to serve the surrounding housing estate which was completed in 1928. Nearly 2500 people were re-housed here from Exeter's West Quarter. The original Dolphin Inn was in the West Quarter.
The remains of an old burned out farmhouse stood in BHL and it is from this farmhouse that the lane takes its name.
See the Bygone section for more information.

The Red House Hotel. - Honeylands and Vranch House close by. Formerly occupied by the Hare family who also once occupied Honeylands.

The Village Inn. - In Whipton village, formerley The Whipton Inn (2005). Opposite All Saints Church.

Micawbers - In Whipton Village. Formerly The Star, then The Half Moon Inn. Once a celebrated coaching house.

See the Bygone and Old Pubs section for more information, look-up St Thomas and Westexe.

The Huntsman Inn - Old pictures of this pub feature a huge sign stating the name of the pub and the old Wellpark Brewery which once ran it. The Wellpark Brewery was located in Willeys Avenue having become established in the 1890's. It ceased trading in the 1960's. The pub is a great old building well worth a visit with some good beers. Behind the pub is Ide's famous 'Watersplash' ford.

See the Bygone and Old Pubs section for more information, look-up St Thomas and Westexe.

The Poachers Inn - In 1920 this pub was known as the New Inn. I visited it around the mid nineties and it was like the wild west. We were lucky to leave alive. I visited again in June 2001 because I'd heard it had become a good restaurant and pub. I was not disappointed. Mainly seafood but there is a good selection. There is also a very good selection of well kept ales and since Wyatt Earp took over, the pub is no longer the home of Billy the Kid and the James Gang, although the pub has once again changed hands.

See the Bygone and Old Pubs section for more information, look-up St Thomas and Westexe.