Beer

Set between the high white chalk cliffs of Beer Head and Seaton Hole, this stunningly picturesque fishing village is best known for the superb white freestone that has been quarried here since Roman times. Much prized for carving, the results can be seen in countless Devon churches, and most notably in the cathedrals at Exeter, Winchester and St Paul’s, as well as at the Tower of London and in Westminster Abbey. Conducted tours around the vast, man-made complex of the Beer Quarry Caves leave visitors astonished at the sheer grandeur of the lofty halls, vaulted roofs and massive supporting pillars of natural stone. Not surprisingly, this complex underground network recommended itself to smugglers, amongst them the notorious Jack Rattenbury who was a native of Beer and published his Memoirs of a Smuggler in 1837.

A family attraction here is Pecorama, which sits on the cliff top high above the village and has an award-winning miniaturerailway, spectacular Millennium Gardens, the Peco Model Railway Exhibition, play areas and superb sea views.

South of Beer, the coastal path climbs to the summit of Beer Head, an imposing
425 feet high, which marks the beginning of the south coast’s white chalk cliffs.