Well placed for walkers on the South West Coast Path, this 19th-century fisherman’s inn faces the beach on Start Bay. ‘Rightly popular’ for its ‘excellent pub grub’ and comfy accommodation, it is run by Rachel and Nigel Heath, the owners, with a can-do attitude. ‘It’s a splendid place that caters for all – families, dogs, more sedate folk,’ say Guide inspectors in 2017. Most of the simply decorated bedrooms have ocean views; all have tea- and coffee-making facilities and biscuits. Old photos of the area and its people hang in the bar. Sit here, in the large dining area or, in fine weather, by the sea wall for informal meals of ‘wonderfully fresh sea bream, lemon sole and lobster’. Walk for miles from the door, towards Dartmouth or Salcombe.