The Cricket Inn was opened in 1867 by Phillip Prettyjohn, whose daughter Elizabeth Ann was born at The Cricket and was the last inhabitant of the old village of Hallsands which was swept away in the great storm of 1917. The Courtney family ran the Inn for over 75yrs, Elias Courtney acquired the Cricket around 1920 and subsequently sold it to Heavitree Brewery in Exeter around 1930 but  his son Archie and grandson Cyril carried on the Courtney name until  Cyril and his wife Maggie retired in 1995.

Over the years The Cricket has survived storms, a bomb in 1942 which destroyed the adjacent cottages, costing the lives of 7 villagers, and a mud slide that passed through the Inn from back to front.

Since Rachel and Nigel took over the helm in 2001 there have been no catastrophes but many changes with a complete refit in 2003 and more recently (May 2010) an extension giving 4 extra letting rooms and a beautiful new restaurant changing the old village pub into what we have today. A bar area with dining for 40 which is dog friendly plus separate drinking only tables, a new restaurant which seats 46 which is ideal for private function as it can be closed off from the rest of the Inn for privacy if required. We boast 8 beautifully appointed letting rooms 5 having breath taking views of Start Bay comprising of 2 mini suites 3 kings and 3 family rooms all en-suite with flat screen multi channel TV’s, tea and coffee making facilities and of course Wi-Fi.

The Cricket Inn first opened its doors in 1867 and is within the small fishing village of Beesands nestled within the idyllic South Hams countryside only metres from the sloping beach and crystal clear waters of Start Bay. To the NE. of the bay we have Dartmouth Harbour Entrance and to the SE. the Start Point Lighthouse one of the most southerly points in mainland UK. The Cricket is a welcome gathering place for both locals and visitors alike, offering real ales, great wines and fantastic food, the menu has an abundance of fresh seafood and local produce including locally reared beef & lamb plus locally grown vegetables but one thing we can guarantee is that the crab, lobster and scallops were caught in the bay in front of the Inn. 

The famous South West Coastal Path runs through the heart of the village making Beesands and The Cricket Inn a Mecca for walker, plus the beautiful 1km beach with crystal clear waters make it ideal for bathers and anglers alike. The Cricket has been sympathetically extended with completion in May 2010, giving space for a new restaurant and four new letting rooms (giving eight in total), which allows us to have the flexibility to cater for small to medium size parties for private dining, birthdays, anniversaries or that special weekend away with a group of friends or family.

The bar area is dog friendly for dining or just having a drink, with some tables reserved for drinkers only. The new restaurant is air conditioned with folding doors for those summer days giving an alfresco feel with an amazing sea view, the whole of the Inn is bright and airy decorated in pastel colours with the walls adorned with black and white photos of yesteryear.

Award Winning Restaurant

The Cricket was first awarded a Red Rosette by the AA for the quality of its food in 2008 and has continued to keep the quality to this level. Our chef’s have a passion for producing exciting dishes using fresh local produce, the Crab, Lobster and Scallops come straight out the Bay in front of the Inn, along with the many varieties of fish that you will find on our menu. Whether your taste is for Lobster, line caught Sea Bass, traditional fish and chips or Devonshire steaks there is always something for everybody including the kids.

Reservations are strongly recommended.

Private Dining or Functions

The new Pavilion restaurant is ideal for private dining or many types of functions, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, etc with sitting for up to 46 or more for a buffet for larger parties up to 150 the whole Inn can be made available, so if you are looking for something special for a party of 6 or a buffet for 150 our chefs can cater for your every need.

Lunch Menu

Dinner Menu

Award Winning Food

Head chef Scott Simon 23 has grown up watching food being prepare at The Cricket Inn since he was 14, helping different chefs over the years learning different styles of cooking plus a short period with Michael Caines the 2 Michelin star Chef at Gidleigh Park and the Bath Priory.

Today he has a brigade of three and sometimes up to five chefs in the summer using fresh local produce where ever possible specialising in fresh fish and shell fish, village fishermen bring lobster, crab and fresh fish straight into the kitchen plus one of the fishermen dives for Scallops all from the Bay in front of the Inn so when we say ‘Diver caught Scallops’ we mean it.

The Cricket is surrounded by lush Devonshire countryside giving us the best Beef, Lamb and Pork plus local vegetables from Artichokes to Asparagus when in season, free range eggs including duck which make the best Crème Brulee. Pretty much everything that comes from our kitchen is made by the chefs in house, from the Crab soup to the Tartare Sauce, Chicken Liver Parfait to the Baked Alaska, each meal is prepared and cooked to order so when the customer ask can they have the Seafood Pancake without the Parmesan it’s not a problem, but be aware when we are busy there can be a wait.

Accommodation

We offer 8 beautifully appointed rooms decorated in a New England style five with unrivalled views of the crystal clear waters of Start Bay. Each room offers en-suite facilities fully tiled with 1200 x 900mm walk in showers and heritage white ware. King size beds with very comfortable pocket sprung mattresses and the single beds are full size, all linens are cotton with sumptuous feather and down quilts.

Large flat screen TV’s are wall mounted with multi channels and most have built in DVD’s (Lords family room has two TV’s). Rooms have Tea and Coffee making facilities and come with complementary bottled water and biscuits. We offer a room make up service for those requiring it each morning plus fresh towels if required but let’s not forget that full Devonshire breakfast.  

 1. Edgbaston 1 King sleeps 2 non sea views    5. Headingley  King, 1 single non sea view

 2. The Oval 1 King sleeps 2 sea views             6. Old Trafford 1 King, 1 single non sea view

 3. Trent Bridge 1 King sleeps 2 sea views       7. Botham suite   1 King sea views

 4. Lords 1 King, 2 singles, sleeps 4                 8. Trueman suite 1 King sea views

 sea views  2 separate rooms

Walkers please note we do not offer a luggage transfer service but do recommend Luggage Transfer who are very reliable and reasonably priced 0800 0437927 or 01326 550721