Boxing Day in Appledore: A Quay, and Four Pubs

Short answer: Appledore is a working fishing village rather than a holiday one, so it does not empty the way the beach villages do. Four pubs sit within a few minutes' walk and the quay costs nothing.

What is open regardless

The quay and the streets. Appledore is small, pretty and free to walk around, and because people actually live here it has a pulse on Boxing Day that Croyde and Woolacombe do not.

The Boxing Day walk

The village

The quay and Irsha Street, where two rivers meet the sea. Short, flat, and genuinely lovely in winter light. Twenty minutes does the lot.

The longer one

Across to Instow for the sandy beach, or onto the Tarka Trail, which is flat, paved and mud-free. The seasonal ferry will not be running, so it is a short drive round.

Where to eat

For a village this size, four pubs is a remarkable hand to hold on Boxing Day:

• The Seagate on the quay — opens at eight in normal weeks, with a Sunday roast for two that arrives on a board.
• The Beaver Inn — overlooking the estuary, seafood specials, and a genuinely good vegan roast.
• The Crab and Apple on New Quay Street — a proper local with darts, pool and a snug.
• The Royal George on Irsha Street — the most accomplished cooking in the village.
• The Boathouse at Instow, across the water — the best-loved pub in the area.

Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.

Park at the top

Especially in winter, when the lanes are wet and dark. Appledore's streets are extremely narrow and driving down into them is how people end up reversing back out. Use the car park at the top and walk down.

If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The pubs that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.