What is Clovelly all about?
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Lots of you are familiar with Clovelly and have probably visited us in our little shop at the top of the unique cobbled street. Some of you I am sure have never visited and this week I wanted to share a bit of why we made our home here and why our business is named after it
Clovelly is a unique village built on the side of a cliff and has been owned by 3 families and is now owned by The Rt Hon John Rous.
It is unique in that it is privately owned and there is a fee to visit the village and enjoy its stunning views, beautiful harbour and rich history. People are often shocked that you have to pay to go to a village but Clovelly is a great day out if you make a full day of it. The entrance fee covers parking, the 20 minute film of the history of the village, access into the car less cobbled street where you can see the sledges that the villagers use to get everything in and out of the village and visit the Kingsley Museum. Meander through the village saying hello to the local cats, have a cream tea in The Clovelly Tea Rooms. Visit the RNLI boat house in the Harbour and if you are lucky see some porpoises outside the Harbour walls. In the summer months at high tide you can swim in the sheltered harbour and maybe see some white bait or tiny jelly fish while you float.
In addition to this you can visit the beautiful Court Gardens as part of the entrance fee. It is an RHS partner garden and a fantastic example of a workin Victorian Kitchen garden with amazing green houses growing Peaches, Apricots, Lemons and Oranges.
We moved here in 2011 from London and I am from nearby Barnstaple so I have always loved Clovelly and it was a dream to move here. As a family we have embraced life here which is a little slower than London. Mr Clovelly Soap is part of the RNLI crew and I also teach workshops here in our studio in Higher Clovelly. It made so much sense to name our business after this amazing place and I hope that some of you get to visit us here one day. I recommend coming early, savouring every piece of history, every view and every unique corner of the village and the great thing about the entry fee is it is valid for a week so you can swim, see the gardens and come back again.
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