Many of you will have heard of the Donkey Sanctuary. Big advertisers on the TV, traditionally. But never mind the donkeys, because there’s one of the best examples of a West Country pub nearby.
The Mason’s Arms in Branscombe, East Devon, is a haven of a pub; a 14th century boozer with a roaring fire — two roaring fires — a solid list of cask ales and a food menu that deviates from proper homemade soup to locally caught fish, though doesn’t forget necessary crowd-pleasers like calamari and various iterations of pork.
This is a pub operated by St Austell brewery out of Cornwall, one that focuses on homely pubs and those where beer is all and vibes bucolic. The Mason's Arms was once used to dispense cider to local farmworkers and fishermen. It still does, to a point, although a £2m makeover has made for an altogether posher experience. It is a lovely spot, tucked away in a valley not far from the sea; low beams and wholesomeness, a partly thatched roof. Don’t worry, there are rooms upstairs (from £165 per night).
Branscombe, Devon, EX12, masonsarms.co.uk
