What We Did Last Week: 4

[poliphilo]

Which brings us to Thursday- which was the day our niece Jo was getting married. We had sandwiches at the Landmark and then bumped over more unimportant Exmoor roads to Hunter's Inn in the Heddon Valley.

This part of Devon is isolated. You can't get a phone signal in most of Ilfracombe- and as for the Heddon Valley, forget it.

They say this is an overcrowded island. Don't believe them.

The Hunter's Inn looks like this.



It's a special place. The present landlord saved it from demolition, took it on as a challenge- almost as a dare (because it wasn't making money)- and has turned it into an award-winning success. He deserves it all, because he seems to be a really nice bloke. A lot of walkers come through the valley- which belongs to the National Trust and he'll feed them any meal they want.  It's the inn in a hole at the end of axle-breaking roads that never sleeps.

Ailz lost a pendant (of considerable sentimental value) at the wedding. The cleaning staff found it next day and the landlord rang to tell us. It's that kind of personalised customer-care that counts.

The river Heddon looks like this. 

 
 

Comments

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Buddleia grows wild in England, doesn't it? I remember seeing it in all kinds of waste places when we trained up to London from Gatwick.

Your Inn sounds like a real find. If we ever make it to Devon, we'll try to remember it.

How lovely for Ailz that they found and returned the pendant.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Buddleia grows wild? I think it does. Possibly it escaped from gardens- just as the rhodenrons did.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

The Hunter's Inn looks like it would be a marvelous place to stay - and that picture of the rushing water with the breeze blowing the purple-flowered branches is gorgeous.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Most of the wedding party stayed at the Inn. They had no complaints. The only drawback- or maybe it's not a drawback but an advantage- is that there's no TV reception.

[jourdannex.livejournal.com]

Oh this is glorious! I love this Inn and river so much.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Me too :)

[sovay]

The river Heddon is wonderful. I love how the lilacs are bowing downstream with the waters.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Yes. It's as if the water and the branches are infuseed with the same energy

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

The Inn is absolutely charming? Did you also stay there or was in the wedding venue?
I think I'd rather like not having a phone signal sometimes.
Were there any butterflies around the butterfly bushes by the river?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I didn't stay there, but most of the wedding party did. The landlord has had the place licensed for weddings.

I don't remember seeing any butterflies. Butterflies have been quite thin on the ground in England for several years now.