Two Villages, One Coast Path, and a Thousand Years of History
If you drew a line along the East Devon coast between Sidmouth and Seaton, you would pass through two of the most characterful villages in the county. Beer is a fishing village built around a smuggler's cove, where colourful boats are still winched up the beach each evening and fresh crab is sold from huts on the seafront. Branscombe is a long, scattered settlement in a wooded valley, home to the last traditional bakery in Devon, the only thatched forge surviving in England, and a brewery that has been making beer in old National Trust farm buildings since 1992.
Between them runs a three-mile stretch of the South West Coast Path that climbs over dramatic chalk headlands with views along the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the finest short coastal walks in Devon — challenging enough to feel like an achievement, beautiful enough to make you stop and stare, and short enough to leave time for a pint at both ends.
This is a day out that combines history, landscape, good food, and the kind of gentle physical effort that makes everything taste better afterwards. Bring a friend who appreciates a good walk and an unhurried pub lunch, and you have the ingredients for a properly excellent day.
Beer: The Village That Shares Its Name With the Best Drink in the World
Beer sits in a sheltered cove on the Jurassic Coast, protected from the prevailing winds by white chalk cliffs that give it an almost Mediterranean quality on a sunny day. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and fishermen have earned their living here for centuries — and still do.
The Beach and the Fishing Fleet
Beer's beach is the heart of the village. Unlike most Devon beaches, it is a working beach — the fishing fleet is hauled up onto the shingle every night because there is no harbour. Small electrically-driven winches and steel cables do the work now, but higher up the beach you can still see an old manual capstan that once required up to twenty men to operate. Higher still, colourful beach huts and benches line the seafront.
The fleet catches crab, lobster, and mackerel, and you can buy the catch fresh from stalls and huts along the beach. There are few things in life more satisfying than eating a crab sandwich within sight of the boat that caught it. If you enjoy seafood, you might also appreciate our guide to the best fish and seafood restaurants in Exeter and Devon, though it is hard to beat the simplicity of fish sold straight off the beach.
Beer Quarry Caves
A short walk from the village centre, Beer Quarry Caves are a vast complex of underground caverns created by centuries of quarrying the famous Beer Stone. First worked by the Romans, the quarry supplied stone for twenty-four cathedrals, including Exeter Cathedral and St Paul's in London, as well as parts of Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Hampton Court, and Windsor Castle. The unique limestone was formed on the seabed ninety-two million years ago from a mixture of pulverised shells, fine sand, and clay.
Guided tours run hourly through mighty halls with vaulted roofs and pillars of Beer Stone that have been likened to a vast underground cathedral. The tours last between one and one and a half hours. The caves maintain a constant cool temperature year-round, and the quarry now provides a winter home to many species of hibernating bats. The site is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Site of Special Scientific Interest, and Special Area of Conservation.
The caves are significantly cooler than the surface, even in summer. Bring a warm layer and wear sturdy footwear with good grip — the floors can be damp and uneven. Pre-booking is recommended by calling 01297 680 282, as tour times can change depending on visitor numbers.
The Barrel o' Beer
On Fore Street, the main street of the village, the Barrel o' Beer is a friendly, family-run pub with three drinking areas surrounding a smart modern bar. It is exactly the sort of pub you hope to find in a fishing village — unpretentious, welcoming, and serving well-kept local ales from Otter Brewery and Branscombe Vale alongside proper pub food. The crab sandwiches, made with locally caught crab, are legendary. Food is served from noon until 3pm. Dogs are welcome, and there is a darts board, pool table, and three televisions for those who like a bit of sport with their pint.
Smuggling History
Beer was once as famous for smuggling as for fishing. The village's sheltered cove and the network of caves in the surrounding cliffs made it a natural base for the contraband trade, and its most notorious resident was Jack Rattenbury, a Devon smuggler whose exploits became the stuff of local legend. The caves that once stored smuggled goods are now part of the village's appeal rather than its economy, but the history adds a layer of romance to an already atmospheric place.
The Coast Path: Beer to Branscombe
The coastal walk between Beer and Branscombe is three miles in each direction, or six miles if you do the full circular route via the Hooken Undercliff path. The circular walk takes approximately three hours and requires a reasonable level of fitness — the path can be steep and uneven, with a total elevation gain of around twelve hundred feet.
The outward route follows the South West Coast Path along the cliff tops, with sweeping views along the Jurassic Coast. The chalk cliffs and red sandstone create a dramatic contrast of colours, and on a clear day you can see for miles along the coastline. The return route via the Hooken Undercliff takes you through a landscape shaped by a massive landslip in 1790, where towering pinnacles of chalk stand amid dense woodland — eerie, beautiful, and utterly unlike anything else on the Devon coast.
This is a walk that rewards conversation. The path is wide enough in most places to walk side by side, the views provide natural pauses, and the effort of the hills creates the kind of shared experience that draws people together. As we explored in our guide to the best walking routes around Exeter and Devon for socialising, walking with someone is one of the most natural ways to deepen a friendship.
The coast path between Beer and Branscombe is well signposted but can be muddy after rain. The Hooken Undercliff section is shaded and can be slippery. Walking boots are strongly recommended over trainers, and take plenty of water — there are no refreshment stops between the two villages.
Branscombe: England's Longest Village
Branscombe stretches for over a mile along a wooded valley that runs down to the sea, its thatched cottages and cob-walled farms scattered along a single winding road. It has a strong claim to being the longest village in England, and walking its length gives you a sense of how Devon's rural communities developed — not in neat clusters around a green, but in long, organic ribbons along valley floors.
The name is probably Celtic in origin, from "Bran" (a personal or tribal name meaning "black" or "crow black") and "cwm" (a steep-sided valley). The first families to settle here may have been from the Dumnonii tribe, sometime between 2700 and 2000 BC. That is a long time to have been beautiful.
The Old Bakery, Manor Mill, and Forge
Branscombe's most famous attraction is a trio of National Trust buildings that together tell the story of rural Devon's self-sufficiency. The Old Bakery is a stone-built, partially rendered, thatched building that was the last traditional working bakery in the county when it closed in 1987. The old baking equipment has been preserved in the baking room, and the rest of the building now serves as a tea room — an excellent one, at that.
Manor Mill is a water-powered flour mill that probably supplied the bakery. A mill has stood on this site since before the Norman Conquest, and the current building, though rebuilt many times, likely dates to the seventeenth century. It has been restored to full working order.
The Forge is the only thatched forge surviving in England. Built in the eighteenth century, it has been a working forge for over three hundred years, with generations of blacksmiths toiling over red-hot metal beneath its remarkable thatched roof. All three buildings are open to visitors and included in National Trust admission.
Branscombe Brewery
In old National Trust farm buildings at Great Seaside Farm, Branscombe Brewery has been producing award-winning ales since Paul Dimond started brewing here in 1992. The brewery also makes its own Branscombe Cider and two varieties of gin. Brewery tours are available but tend to book up well in advance. On the first weekend of every month, the brewery holds microbeer festivals — intimate, lively affairs with live music and much conversation. The brewery is also open most Saturdays for bottled beer sales.
If you are interested in Devon's brewing and food traditions, our guide to Devon's food, drink, and heritage covers the wider story of local produce across the county.
The Masons Arms
Though not part of the original brief, no guide to Branscombe would be complete without mentioning the Masons Arms, a fourteenth-century thatched pub that sits in the heart of the village. Owned by St Austell Brewery, it serves excellent food using local ingredients and has rooms for those who want to stay the night. The beer garden, with views across the valley, is one of the finest pub gardens in Devon.
Getting There from Exeter
Beer is approximately thirty-four minutes by car from Exeter, heading east along the A3052 towards Seaton. Branscombe is slightly closer, reached by turning off the A3052 at the signed junction.
By public transport, Stagecoach South West runs a bus from Exeter Bus Station to Beer, taking approximately an hour and a half, with services running roughly hourly. The Axe Valley Mini-Travel line 52 also connects Exeter to Beer via a different route. Neither service is especially frequent on Sundays, so check timetables in advance.
There is no direct bus to Branscombe — the nearest stop is on the main road above the village, about a mile's walk from the centre. A car makes life significantly easier if you want to visit both villages in one day.
For the best day out, drive to Branscombe first. Visit the Old Bakery, Manor Mill, and Forge in the morning, then walk the coast path to Beer for a late lunch. Explore the village, visit the quarry caves in the afternoon, and have a pint at the Barrel o' Beer before driving back via Branscombe to collect your car.
Why This Coastline Matters
The East Devon coast between Beer and Branscombe is not the most famous stretch of the Jurassic Coast — Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door get more attention. But it is, in many ways, the most rewarding. The villages are real places with real communities, not tourist constructions. The coast path is dramatic without being overwhelming. The history — Roman quarries, medieval forges, smugglers' caves — is layered and fascinating. And the pace of life is exactly what it should be: slow enough to notice things, fast enough to fill a day with variety.
Bring someone you want to know better. Walk the cliffs together. Share a crab sandwich. Talk about the Romans and the smugglers and the bats in the caves. These are the experiences that turn acquaintances into friends and friends into the kind of people who say, "Remember that day we walked from Beer to Branscombe?" years later.