Olde Cider Bar

This is a national treasure – one only four cider houses left in the UK. It’s a very ordinary-looking stuccoed building close to the town centre of Newton Abbot. It used to be owned by cider-makers Whiteways of Whimple and cider was stillaged in the heart of the pub in 54-gallon hogsheads as old photographs on the walls will show. Customers wanting off-sales service would use the little hatch, now concealed behind doors to the right of the main entrance: it can also clearly be seen internally. Then in 1962 came a new-fangled bar counter to create a bit more order and separation of customers from the storage area. This was on the right-hand side of the building. Then in 1984 a new owner, Richard Knibbs took over and the current layout was adopted. The counter of 1962 was moved and survives to this day with its extraordinary, bulgy barrel-shaped slats.