‘Next to my own Shippe I do most love that old Shippe in Exon…’ [Sir Francis Drake, 1587]
This old inscription on the wall of the ‘The Ship Inn’ in Exeter expresses Sir Francis Drake’s love for the iconic Exeter pub – and now I can express my own love for ‘The Ship’!
One of my very favourite historic spots in a historic city – it is housed in an extremely narrow, cobbled lane, looking toward Cathedral Green.
Dating back to the 15th century, it has its fair share of stories. For example, during the Second World War, Sam, a black dog owned by the landlord became a star bartender…
‘He would greet customers at the door, fetch glasses and allegedly took glasses of beer and pasties to customers seated at the tables. Once the order was safely delivered, the customer was expected to pay Sam with the correct money, which he would flip into his mouth and then drop into a tin behind the bar.’
Once, on a day out in Exeter, I had my lunch in ‘The Ship’ and then returned later to have dinner. The barman recognised me and thought I had spent the whole day in the pub! In such a pleasant place – it would be easy to do!
While on the subject of ships…this ‘Ship Inn’ post is a good excuse to attach a link to Nick Cave’s ‘The Ship Song’ and this beautiful version by Martha Wainwright:
