They call it Devon’s best kept secret, but it is no secret that Beer is a delightful fishing village with its own secluded pebble beach. The imposing and striking cliffs provide natural protection and form part of the World Heritage coastline designated by UNESCO. It is, in fact, England’s only natural World Heritage site, recognised for the importance of its geology.
The village of Beer is small and has resisted the pressures of modernisation, retaining much of its traditional character. It has a beautiful church and many fine buildings. Fishing still takes place here and Beer is particularly famous for its crab. When we visited, we took one of the small boats out and caught some fresh mackerel ourselves.
Beer is a place to relax. A walk along the beach or along the cliffs reveals some of the finest coastal scenery in the UK.
The name Beer comes from the Old English word bearu, meaning a small wood. The Romans quarried limestone from the cliffs at Beer, and stone from here can be found in Windsor Castle, the Tower of London and several of England’s great cathedrals. The caves are open to the public, allowing visitors to explore large caverns carved out of the rock during guided underground tours.
Beer, like many other well-known coves along this coastline, also has a history of smuggling. Jack Rattenbury, a notorious smuggler of the South West, was a native of Beer.
For photographs of Beer click here, or view them on YouTube.
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