Old Exeter Inn

The oldest pub in Ashburton, probably dating from the early 1300s, built to house the builders of the church opposite and Grade II listed. It has been an inn since its early days and it is reputed that Sir Francis Drake visited regularly and that Sir Walter Raleigh was arrested here in July 1603 before being imprisoned in the Tower of London. Recent painstaking restorations are sympathetic to the heritage of the building, retaining some of its ancient woodwork. There are drinking areas either side of the entrance hallway and the main bar is L-shaped, rustic and wood-panelled. Behind the bar are the old millstones, in what was a fireplace. To the rear are a snug, containing the beer engine that was in the bar, and a darts room. A flagstone-floored rambling passage leads to a small walled garden. Meals are available and can be accompanied with real ales and ciders. Closed Mondays.