After visiting this North Devon town for over a decade Jeremy Vine is practically a local. He shares his guide to the best places to eat, drink, soak in the views and let your hair down on a great British break.
Where is your favourite destination and why?
Imagine the super-high camera shot that used to open Match of the Day. A bird’s eye view, and then it plunges through clouds and takes you zooming into a football stadium. My holiday crash-zoom would be the UK, then England, then Devon, then North Devon, then Appledore, then the slipway in the middle of the promenade where you can take the kids crabbing. If you want me to get it down to a few square feet I can.
When was the last time you were there, and who were you with?
Ever since I discovered Appledore while on a book tour with my memoir in 2012, I’ve been back for my holidays. My daughters were eight and six then; now they’re 18 and 21. They tell us where to go (in every sense). They still demand summers on the Devon coast. We’ve never had a bad holiday in Devon.
Read more: Daniel Mays' guide to Salcombe, Devon: Boat trips, fishing and celeb-spotting
Where do you stay in Appledore?
I met a guy called Simon who told me about a cottage he’d bought by the edge of the estuary. He said I should rent it, and we did. It’s in New Quay Street. It’s small but the position is utterly perfect.
When you wake up, you wander outside and sit watching the tide go in and out. When it’s out you can see a mile of mud and sand all the way across to Instow (another great location), although I’d be wary of trying to walk it because you might suddenly be swallowed up like that poor guy in Lawrence of Arabia.
Your favourite meal there?
There was a guy who started a tapas place called The Yard. No exaggeration, it was as good as anywhere in London. Very nice guy called Mark. The two tables by the fireplace were made by inmates at Dartmoor Prison. The painting on the wall is by a local artist, Simone Hunt. The name of the place is a nod to the shipyard. And the food — wow!
What are your top three restaurants?
This is a dangerous question because I don’t want to be barred from ones I don’t mention! I would say the Flame Factory is a stunning location for pizzas and steaks, with absolutely wonderful, gracious waiting staff who always have time to chat.
Then there’s The Seagate and The Royal George, the two main hotels with excellent dining. Ask for a table near the window if you book in the George.
If I could add one more, it’s The Royal Plaice on Bude Street. You order at a hatch and they give you piping hot fish and chips that you can eat at a table at the George opposite (buy a pint first!).
What would you do if you only had 24 hours there?
I would stay at The Seagate, where I feel the staff are friends (they probably just make all their visitors feel like that). Then, having made sure my visit aligns with the Appledore Book Festival, I would walk down the coastal path and get myself to the Skern marquee where they have their events now that they are really being talked about.
Above all, the main thing in Appledore is to make sure you have the time to sit and chat. It’s a very sociable part of Devon. Turn off that London calendar.
Get a Hocking’s ice cream from the van on the promenade. Eat it when you look out on the water, and I dare you to be unhappy.
What is the one unmissable thing you recommend doing?
That’s easy. On a summer’s day you have to get a Hocking’s ice cream from the van on the promenade. Eat it when you look out on the water, and I dare you to be unhappy.
Is there a hidden gem you are willing to share?
Search “Appledore Regatta” online and find out the date. It’s a beautiful display of local boats, but the highlight is the Tug of War, which takes place on the water. They get two boats full of rowers. Then the crews tug off against each other.
Where do you like to let your hair loose?
Quite literally, at BeauTangles. Pollyanna is in charge of the brilliantly named Appledore hairdresser. I noticed that there’s a narrow alleyway alongside the window and I told her she should listen to the scraps of conversation and turn them into a novel. You never know the context, and I always wonder — what if sheheard someone planning a murder?
Who do you call to have a good time?
Sandy Brown, the sculptor. Her gallery is in the Old Glove Factory (visiting day is Fridays). She is a serious ceramics artist with a wicked sense of humour. If someone coughs on the other side of town, she knows about it.
Favourite shops?
John’s supermarket. An independent local grocer! Just imagine. Seasonal produce, crab baguettes, local strawberries and fresh Devon clotted cream. You can also get all the equipment you need for crabbing: that’s where you “catch” crabs in buckets with lines baited with bacon, and everyone looks in your bucket to see who’s got the biggest crab, and then half an hour later you throw them back into the water with no harm done.
The one thing you would bring home as a souvenir?
I’d take the anchor from the slipway. Although, since it weighs three tons and is a local landmark, I suspect I wouldn’t get far.
Your favourite beauty spot?
I’m going to surprise you. Appledore has a shipyard. Boris Johnson announced he was rescuing it, which I worried might mean it was about to close, but it is now in the hands of Spanish company Navantia. More than 300 vessels have been built here in the past. Queen Elizabeth I opened it. The history is incredible. To me, it’s a beauty spot.
Your packing essential?
Trunks. I always forget them.
Song that reminds you of the place?
I was sitting with my daughter Anna, and I said “Let’s watch the Eagles play the acoustic Hotel California.” It was one of those unplugged performances and lasted about 11 minutes. She was about 14. She was absolutely enraptured from the first chord to the last.
Dress code for the destination?
I dress so badly it’s unreal. Maybe tennis shoes, white socks, shorts... and a Joy Division T-shirt.
Building you would like to live in?
Anywhere by the water. There are a lot of houses next to the mouth of the River Torridge and I always think waking up with that view would be the opposite of London living.
Do you exercise when travelling?
I cycle around Devon when I can. But the hills are killers, and to be brutally frank, I often pack my electric bike to take the edge off. Electric bikes should transform rural cycling
