Hope Cove

The lovely village of Hope Cove clings to the South Devon coast in the shelter of Bolt Tail.  In the past, this isolated little village was the home of smugglers & fishermen.  Now it attracts holidaymakers, drawn to its two lovely beaches and quaint thatched cottages.

Hope Cove is actually made up of two villages, Inner & Outer Hope, seperated by a dramatic headland and linked by a narrow footpath.  The village has a lovely pub, general store and art gallery.  Two lovely sandy beaches are a firm favourite with the children and watersports are in abundance.  There is a slipway for launching small boats and dinghys.

Despite its remote location and small stature Hope Cove has been the scene of plenty of drama in the past.  In Elizabethan times, the village was the only place where sailors from the Spanish Aramada made land. 

There have also been numerous ships wrecked on the coastline here.  In 1760 more than 700 people lost their lives when HMS Ramilles was wrecked on the rocks at the base of Bolt Tail. Another famous wreck was that of the Finnish Barque, Herzogin Cecilie which ran aground on the Ham Stone in 1936.

However, don't let these stories of shipwrecks put you off.  Hope Cove is a wonderful little village with plenty to attract you on a cottage holiday, particularly if you just want to take things easy!