The Sea Shanty, Branscombe, Devon

Following on from the National Trust Trail (see the last four posts for the Forge, Forge Cottages, The Old Bakery and Manor Mill), the Sea Shanty is the perfect end to a good walk with lots of interesting things to see. And, although this one isn't owned by the National Trust, it also has plenty of architectural and historical interest.

One might be forgiven for thinking that this is a place that has recently been built by adding to an existing farmhouse. Interestingly though, from what I can discover so far, there have been tea rooms here for at least 85 years.

According to the website of the current owners, the Sea Shanty has been "offering homemade lunches and cream teas to walkers of the South West Coast Path and beach lovers since 1943". However, I saw a lovely old photograph from 1931 in the Francis Frith Collection, which shows the Sea Shanty just as it looks today, and where people are sitting at tables outside enjoying refreshments.

  
I found another bit of information from a review of the book Cliff and Beach at Branscombe by Barbara Farquharson & Sue Dymond, in which is mentioned that the Sea Shanty was built upon the coal yard at Branscombe Mouth. The oldest part of the building and walls may have been an original part of that.

I first visited the tea rooms some 38 years ago (circa 1980), after a long walk from Seaton along the cliff path with my toddler son in his pushchair, plus my friend and her two little girls who were staying with us on holiday.

I hadn't been inside since, until this visit at the end of September 2015 after visiting the Forge, the Old Bakery and Manor Mill. 

Comprising the tea rooms and a shop, the one thing I didn't know about is the delightful courtyard garden at the rear. Full of plants and herbs in pots, rustic seating, picnic benches, staddle stones and marine artefacts enclosed in ivy-encrusted stone rubble walls, with a rather grand centrepiece of a circular flower bed. In the middle of this are two mill stones adorned with large pebbles and old coloured glass fishing floats.

The ivy on the wall in the photo below hides the entrance to the loos, by the way, and is much more modern and beautifully kept than the entrance impies!

The photo below shows the grassy area outside where the other al fresco picnic benches are.
 

A good walk, lots of interesting places to visit, finishing with hot chocolate and a slice of cake at the Sea Shanty. A perfect end to a perfect day! :)