Topsham comes out tops

According to the details on my phone camera, I arrived at the small, estuary town of Topsham, shortly before 11:20am. This would have been around the time that this poster for 70’s prog-rockers Curved Air, came into view. It’s somewhat idealised picture of the lovely Sonja Kristina was sufficient to melt the heart of this septuagenarian and transport him back 53 years to a previous existence as a rather shy sixth former, at Ashford Boy’s Grammar School. Then the bubble burst, because despite watching many well-known groups play their stuff, primarily at Folkestone’s Lea’s Cliff Hall, Curved Air with their attractive, lead singer wasn’t one of them.

I suppose that had I spent a couple of additional days in the Exeter area, then my boyhood crush might have been fulfilled. But of course, it wouldn’t have been – moments in time and all that. Instead, here I was in this picturesque Devon about to fulfill another, and far more recent wish, namely that of visiting a pub that only entered my consciousness six months ago.

 I’m sure many of you will realise I’m talking about the Bridge Inn, a pub that I’d read about in Adrian Tierney-Jone’s excellent book, “A Pub for All Seasons.”  The Bridge is a little way out of town, back towards the station, and then some distance beyond that. It overlooks a river, but it’s a separate water course to the River Exe which separates Topsham from the countryside on the opposite bank. We are talking here about the River Clyst, which is much smaller than the Exe, into which it flows a few miles downstream.

With forty minutes left before the Bridge was set to open its doors, it seemed sensible to start by visiting some pubs in Topsham, holding off on the main event until later. So, decision made, I headed down to the waterfront and the Lighter, the first of the town’s pub on my list. Situated directly on the Quayside, my research showed this Hall & Woodhouse pub opened its doors at 11am. So far, so good, except that the Lighter was resolutely closed, its doors locked, and any welcoming internal lights well and truly dimmed. Not a good start for someone who’d been steadily nursing a thirst since reaching the West Country, two or three hours earlier.

Undeterred, I headed back along Topsham’s main street towards the imposing Globe Hotel, an establishment that I’d passed earlier, and one that I knew was already open. Its signage, displaying little doubt as to it ownership, by leading Cornish brewers, St Austell, who acquired the premises in 2011. 

The Globe is a former coaching inn, which dates from the 16^th century, and today still offers accommodation in a number of stylish rooms. The food offering looks good, although it comes at prices one might expect from a high-end establishment. I entered beneath an extensive porch at the front of the building, which opened up into the main bar area. A log fire, opposite the bar, provided some much needed and very welcome warmth, that was much needed after the bright, but cold conditions, outside.

Being a St Austell house, the cask beers were Proper Job, a seasonal beer containing maple syrup, and Gem Amber Ale, from Bath Ales – who are a subsidiary of St Austell. I gravitated towards the Proper Job, and a right decent job of a beer it was too. With its heavily beamed ceiling, wood-panelled bar, plus rooms leading off in several directions, the Globe was just the place to settle in for a slow, leisurely afternoon. I had other pubs to visit though, so I retraced my footsteps, back to the Lighter Inn which, by this time was now open.

Situated on the Quayside, in a prime spot on the water overlooking the River Exe estuary, the Lighter is similar, in many respects to the Globe.  Good-quality food is served all day, and it can get rather busy, especially in the holiday season. That wasn’t the case last Friday, although given the pub’s shoreline position, and it overall setting, it’s not difficult to understand the Lighter’s popularity.  Another attraction, of course, especially to beer lovers, is the range of Badger beers, because the Lighter is a tied house, belonging to Dorset brewers, Hall & Woodhouse.

Unlike the previous pub, I decided to be a bit more adventurous, this time around, and opted for a glass of Shadows Fall, H&W’s dark, seasonal offering.  It was quite pleasant, although on balance I would still prefer a pint of Tanglefoot.  Like its neighbouring pub, the Lighter is a dog-friendly establishment. In case you are wondering about the pub’s name, a Lighter is a large flat-bottomed barge used for transporting cargo, especially used to deliver or unload goods to or from a cargo ship or transport goods over short distances.

I didn’t dally too long at the Lighter, as I was keen to reach the third pub on my list, and the one that had been the prime reason for me journeying through four English counties in order to visit Topsham. That pub, of course, was the Bridge Inn, and whilst the first two pubs had been good, the Bridge was definitely the icing on the cake. More about that next time, but the only regret I have regarding that visit, was missing out on the chance to visit the Passage House Inn.