Fortescue Arms, East Allington, TOTNES, TQ9 7RA [Map]
01548 521215http://www.fortescue-arms.co.uk/ 
11-14:30, 18-23 (11-23 summer) MO-SA; 12-15, 19-22:30 (12-22:30 summer) SU
Accommodation, Car Park, Evening Meals, Real Fire, Beer Garden, Lunchtime Meals, Quiet Bar, Campsite At / Near Pub

Friends & I outside the Fortescue Arms two days
before the 'Great Eclipse' of the 11th August 1999

A very friendly feel is evident in this traditional village inn. Not too difficult to find. To get there you'll need to take the A381 from Totnes southwards towards Kingsbridge. East Allington is signposted left and the pub lies about a mile from the A381 next to the church.

The pub dates back to the 19th Century and was named after a local landowner. The pub itself has a lot of greenery growing up it and there's seating both out the front by the quiet country lane and in the pub garden to the rear.

The bar itself has a flagstone floor and lots of brewery and racing memorabilia. The had two real ales on offer while we were there, on from the local Dartmoor brewery (see Prince of Wales, Princetown) along with Palmers IPA (abv. 4.2%), a well balanced hoppy beer also known as Palmers Best Bitter. They might also have a guest beer on offer too. The pub also offers good food at lunchtimes and during the evenings in the lounge bar/dining room though we didn't eat there ourselves.

Had some interesting conversations with some of the friendly locals and visitors, and when we visited in August 1999 just before the eclipse we met a professional 'eclipse spotter.' He'd had a fair bit to drink and when we asked him how many eclipses he'd seen, he said that he'd just started out and this was his first. He went on to say that if he was too hung over in the morning and missed the big event, that his mother was videoing it for him!

The pub does offer accommodation though if you'd like to camp we can recommend the Mounts Farm Touring Park signposted off the A381 at The Mounts, a hamlet on the A381 just a little further down the A381 towards Kingsbridge than the East Allington turnoff. The campsite is run by a very friendly, enthusiastic family who looked after all 23 of us very well. They even sent us a Christmas card. We'll definitely go back there at some point!

Ian, me, Tom, Dave, Andy, Ian, Lee and Jim in July 2002