HISTORIC DEVON & CORNWALL: 3 BEST COACHING INNS REVIEWED

Adrian Mourby

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Nestled in the heart of Devon and Cornwall, coaching inns have long been a beloved part of the region's charm. These historic gems offer more than just a place to stay; they provide a glimpse into local culture, rich history, and exceptional hospitality. In this blog, we explore three standout inns—each offering a unique experience of rustic elegance, coastal beauty, and mouthwatering cuisine. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful retreat or a taste of local life, these inns are the perfect base for your next getaway.

The Plume of Feathers, Newquay

Plume of Feathers is an old 16th-century coaching inn on a winding bus route between Truro and Newquay in the rural village of Mitchell. The Plume of Feathers offers cosy, individually designed rooms housed in the original coaching inn and the converted barns. Some of the 20 rooms are dog-friendly, featuring exposed beams and stylish furnishings. The excellent restaurant serves locally sourced, seasonal Cornish produce.

Adrian Mourby writes: "The sails of giant modern Cornish windfarms rotate slowly on the horizon. Meanwhile on a winding bus route between Truro and Newquay, in the rural village of Mitchell, there stands an old coaching inn. The Plume of Feathers has a neoclassical portico that has been attached to an even older village building.  The Plume’s age is unclear, but its water well is known to be 450 years old. Today the well is behind reception, and it still fills the carafes of water on your table.
From the Middle Ages onward, the tiny borough of Mitchell elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons. Sir Walter Raleigh and Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington were MPs representing this “rotten borough”. It was finally disenfranchised by the Reform Act 1832.
Looking at Mitchell today with its modest stone houses and flowerbeds it is hard to imagine that two MPs once represented it. Today it is considered the go-to location for Cornish cycling. The Mitchell Cycling Club (MCC) was formed in 2016 to capitalise on the local popularity of the sport. It’s also been a focal point of the Cornish folk music revival in the 1960s.

Through all this time The Plume of Feathers has stood at the west end of the village. In the 1980s the pub was bought at auction by Crowndell Consulting Ltd. Their project of creating an “inn with rooms” has resulted in accommodation being built up the hill behind the pub. Altogether twenty rooms have been added, all looking like barns or farm cottages in what has become known informally as its ‘village’. This series of buildings, accessed from the pub through a vine-clad arch, resembles restored agricultural buildings -- one is even called The Hen House - but all are clever newbuilds.
Some have full-length French windows and views, others are cosy with small windows and no views, as would be the case in genuine old farming buildings. All have modern bathrooms, walk-in showers, comfortable sofas and modern desks.

The real joy of The Plume of Feathers, however, is its food which Head Chef Andrew Dudley supervises. Andrew has been with the hotel since 2019, and alongside familiar pub favourites like fish and chips with minted crushed peas and deep-fried Cornish brie, he comes up with less traditional delights like Korean fried tofu salad and chicken katsu salad. Andrew enjoys working with suppliers who offer the best of Cornwall’s seasonal ingredients to develop an ever-changing menu. However, those classic dishes take centre stage here, which is what Andrew calls restaurant-quality home cooking. From the beloved ploughman’s lunch to a dish of ham, egg and chips, it’s all interwoven with Andrew’s signature flair, giving every dish an imaginative twist.  Dining is both in the oldest part of the pub or in its new dining room, originally built as a conservatory but now roofed over as the trend for conservatory dining has disappeared. What look like large sofa cushions on the ceiling are there to dampen down the noise of chatty locals. There can be times when it seems the whole village of Mitchell is dining in tonight."

WHAT TO SEE NEARBY
"Mitchell is a good place to base yourself if you are touring Cornwall. The beaches of Newquay are only a 20-minute drive away, the food empire of Padstow a little further to the north and the picturesque drowned Helston river valley a short distance to the south."

Lugger Hotel, Cornwall

The Lugger sits at the bottom of a very narrow road that winds through the village of Portloe. This seafaring inn (named after the typical single-sailed Cornish fishing boat) takes up much of what was once a narrow south coastal port. The old, white-washed pub has five bedrooms above a charming bar. There are also 12 rooms in a row of houses behind the pub, four in the old schoolhouse and others in various cottages nearby. It’s fair to say that most of Portloe is The Lugger. And The Lugger is Portloe.

Adrian Mourby writes: "The Lugger sits at the bottom of a very narrow road that winds through the village of Portloe. This seafaring inn (named after the typical single-sailed Cornish fishing boat) takes up much of what was once a narrow south coastal port.
 
The old white-washed pub consists of five bedrooms above a simple but charming bar. There are also 12 rooms in a row of houses behind the pub, four in the old schoolhouse and others in various cottages nearby. In fact, it’s fair to say that most of Portloe is The Lugger. And The Lugger is PortLoe.
 
Today it is delightful to sit on the lugger’s small terrace and watch local fishermen unload their catch. Visible below are their buoys, marking the position of lobster pots in the bay. In the evening, you can dine on fresh sea produce, which is delivered daily. You can also drink in the small bar below or sit in the residents’ lounge with its big open fire and a scattering of books and board games.  No two bedrooms are the same at The Lugger. some have their own terraces, a few have sea views. Room 301 is perhaps the best with its view directly into the tiny harbour and the sea beyond."

WHAT TO SEE NEARBY
"Kiberick Cove is a perfect little Cornish beach only revealed at low tide. It's just one and a half miles along the coastal path from The Lugger, but make sure you check high tide times before you set off. There’s a bit of a scramble down but it’s well worth it when you get there."

New Inn, Clovelly

Only some Devon villages can match the charm of Clovelly. The descent down its cobbled main street to the tiny harbour is so steep that only donkeys tugging sledges can deliver luggage to the village’s two hotels. Cars are banned, and you must park up top in a designated car park where you pay for admission to the village. The New Inn is halfway down this dramatic incline and has welcomed visitors since the 17th century. It has 11 bedrooms across two buildings. Home-cooked British pub classic dishes are available in the bar and the Hamlyn Room.

Adrian Mourby writes: "Very few Devon villages can match the charm of Clovelly. The descent down its cobbled main street to the tiny harbour is so steep that only donkeys tugging sleds can deliver luggage to the village’s two hotels. Cars are banned and have to park up top in a designated car park where you pay your admission to the village.
 
The New Inn is halfway down this dramatic incline and has welcomed visitors since the 17th century. It has eleven bedrooms across two buildings. Some have sea views, and others have balconies overlooking the main street.
 
Home-cooked British pub classic dishes are available in the bar and the Hamlyn Room which also serves breakfast.  The hotel’s very own Clovelly Brewery artisan beer & ciders are available and so are Devonshire Cream Teas baked by Bea the hotel manager."

WHAT TO SEE NEARBY
"The Fisherman’s Cottage in Clovelly shows how a Devonshire family lived in the 1930s. It is also a memorial to Charles Kingsley whose father was curate of Clovelly and who wrote The Water Babies and Westward Ho!"