Ship Inn, Porlock, Somerset

The Ship Inn is the kind of old, attractive, and genuinely characterful Somerset village pubs that tourists like myself dream of finding on Summer holidays. All whitewashed stone and floral displays, it's certainly picture-postcard pretty on the outside, but it's the rambling unspoilt interior that's really special. The diminutive bar (below) is particularly appealing, and regarded as something of a rare heritage survivor by those that know about these things. Even those of us that don't can't help but be charmed by its unspoilt and unfussy cosiness, a welcome legacy of successful and sympathetic ownership over many years. I was there with my partner, and she can perhaps be forgiven for not fully understanding the wash of warm nostalgia I felt in the bar of the Ship, because a pub like this represents something of my own personal pub-going past.

In my youth, newly enabled by driving license and a cheap set of wheels, the West Country became our favourite Summer playground. Minehead and the cheap chalet accommodation of Butlins Holiday Park was something of a favourite, but every quaint former fishing village along the north coast enjoyed our noisy patronage. And whilst I've no doubt that my recollections of the time are heavily clouded by the fog of youthful, sunburnt nostalgia (as well as unhealthy quantities of West Country ale and cider), it seems that every pub we spent time in was as unspoilt and 'West Country Smuggler-ish' as the Ship Inn. Memories that are all the more fondly recalled because so few of these pubs seem to have survived without recourse to bland modernisation, or worse still, permanent closure in the intervening years.

Which is not to say that the Ship Inn is some kind of heritage time warp, untouched by the passing of time. As the excellent 'Short History' page on the pubs website makes clear, the Ship Inn has seen its fair share of change over the years. Of course change is a given in the pub trade, in fact it's essential that pubs adapt to reflect customer demand, yet so few manage to do it in a way that respects the all-important 'social' history of the pub in the way it's been achieved at the Ship.

This Ship Inn is not to be confused with its namesake at nearby Porlock Weir. Not that the locals would make that mistake. This Ship lies at the bottom of the notoriously steep Porlock Hill, and is known locally as the 'Top Ship'!... Bare with me. The other Ship is a little way up the coast, close to the harbour and overlooking the Bristol Channel, and hence is known by all as the 'Bottom Ship'. If, like us you're new to the area, it's probably best to try both just to be sure...

The principal attraction of the Ship to many may not be the lovely heritage bar, but the wide range of local ales and ciders crammed onto the attractive wood-panelled bar-counter. I won't deny that this was a major draw for me, but we could equally have enjoyed the terraced garden, the restaurant, or of course a 'hand' or two in the pubs excellent skittle alley.

The Skittle Alley is located in an outbuilding to the rear of the pub, and to all the world appears as old and original as the inn itself. In truth, whilst the building itself is certainly old, it's conversion to a skittle alley occurred more recently. Again, I refer you to the history page of the website, which locates the original alley as being adjacent to the pubs stabling to the right of the arched entrance.



In common with most parts of the West Country, skittles remains popular with both sexes in this part of Somerset. Competitive ladies skittles is covered by the Minehead & Porlock League, whilst the men compete in the Dunster League. You won't find much in the way of competition in the Summer months though, the game being predominantly a Winter pastime due to work and holiday commitments.

I know from playing Northamptonshire Table Skittles for my local pub team, that one of the attractions of league play is the opportunity to visit pubs and clubs that perhaps wouldn't normally be on your radar. The downside of this is playing at venues which may fall short of your own personal pub standards, particularly when it comes to the lottery of beer choice! Some venues are certainly more popular with visiting teams than others, but I'd imagine that most teams would relish the opportunity to play, win or lose, at the Ship Inn, such is the all-round appeal of the pub.