Clovelly is a harbour village in the Torridge district of Devon
Its steep pedestrianised cobbled main street, donkeys and views over the Bristol Channel attract numerous tourists.
Donkey stables at Clovelly are almost as old as the village is. These sturdy little beasts carried the fishermen’s herring in mawms (baskets) from the harbour up the narrow cobbled street, as well as other heavy loads for the villagers. Without the donkeys, the village would never have become a successful fishing port. For years visitors could watch the heavy baskets of herring carried from the harbour up-along the cobbled street to the carriers’ carts.
The Village is a working fishing village, that dates back over 400 years.
There are no holiday homes allowed and people wishing to apply to live in the villages should be aware that residents make the village the active and unique place to live in it is today
George Cary, built the stone harbour quay - establishing Clovelly the only safe harbour between Boscastle in Cornwall and Appledore.
The small harbour was sheltered up to 60 fishing boats, but due to the decline of the herring fishery this has now dwindled to a handful of small boats.
You can even take a boat trip along the dramatic coastline or to Lundy Island.
The dramatic view from the coast path above Clovelly Harbour illustrates one of the reasons why this village is so unique. The whole village is wedged into a fold in the cliffs. People have lived here since the Iron Age, but the Saxons named it “Cleave Leigh”, old English for ‘cleft in the cliff’.
