The Maltsters Arms, Tuckenhay: Life After Journalism on the Banks of the River Dart
Rediscovering Old Friends and New Adventures in South Devon
Social media has many downsides but one useful role it plays is in allowing users to keep up with old friends. Occasionally their posts can surprise and delight you - which is what happened recently when I saw an Instagram photo and note from an old colleague saying: “Really enjoying life - wish I’d done this years ago.”
The photograph showed a lovely waterside inn, tucked away deep in the South Devon countryside - and what Andy Cooper seemed to be saying was that he wished he’d stopped being a successful newspaper and magazine editor years ago to take on the management of a pub.
It seemed to me the one-time editor of the North Devon Journal and group-editor of a large stable of county magazines had done a kind of poacher-turned-gamekeeper act. As editor-in-chief of numerous lifestyle magazines, I knew Andy must have stayed in literally hundreds of lovely pubs, hotels and other hostelries down the years, so the idea of him actually running one really did come as a surprise.
Martin with Andy Cooper at the Maltsters Arms
A Warm Welcome at The Maltsters Arms, Tuckenhay
“I am absolutely loving it!” he replied, when I messaged him. “Why not come down to The Maltsters at Tuckenhay and sample the delights of the place for yourself…”
No need to ask twice. I knew The Maltsters from years ago when I went down to Tuckenhay - a tiny village on the banks of Bow Creek on the tidal River Dart - to sample its delights when it was owned by a man called Keith Floyd.
Yes, that Keith Floyd. The man from Wiveliscombe who did so much to revolutionise cookery programmes on television. The TV chef who used to bark orders at the cameraman while slurping glasses of wine over steaming pots in wild, exotic and often unlikely places.
Alas Keith, having enjoyed something of a late night, was apparently feeling a little under the weather the day I visited - so I didn’t get to sample the joys of the pub back then, but instead contented myself with the fabulous local walk which I’ve outlined in the panel.
A Return Visit to a Devon Riverside Gem
This time, however, I did get to wallow in the joys of The Maltsters Arms. My wife and I spent a wonderful afternoon and night there. We did the local walk, met the very friendly new owners, were treated to a very good dinner, slept in a room with views over the creek, and were sent off the next morning replete and extremely happy after an excellent breakfast, with a very un-Floyd-like spring in our step.
It is a wonderful old inn and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a luxurious bolthole that’s just a little different, set in the most gorgeous countryside imaginable.
A Pub with Heart, Character and Real Devon Warmth
And yes, I say that knowing readers might suspect I am bound to be nice, given that the new general-manager, Mr Cooper, is an old mate. All I can say to that is he knows the game - having reviewed literally hundreds of hostelries himself as a journalist, he knows there is no hiding place. If The Maltsters, or any other establishment, was rubbish - and the likes of either him or me were to go into print saying the place was fantastic - our readers would soon know about it and our reputations would be in tatters.
So I have no problem with going on the record and saying I believe The Maltsters to be an excellent getaway venue. One of those hidey-holes that is just right for a romantic weekend, for example. Tucked away in Tuckenhay. Can’t think of anything better.
Great food, excellent beer and wine, and a lovely room with a very comfortable bed overlooking what is an incredibly peaceful and out-of-the-way creek.
And what I haven’t mentioned yet for fear of embarrassing the man, is the warm and friendly vibe around the place. Which I put down to Andy’s influence. Because he has stayed in so many hostelries in this country and abroad, I can only imagine Mr Cooper really does know what is needed. Nothing too posh or exclusive - nothing too matey and, well, Keith Floyd-ish - just an atmosphere that seems to say… “Wonderful! You’ve found us down all these windy Devon lanes - now sit back, relax and enjoy every stress-free minute of your stay.”
Just what the doctor ordered. Which is why I’m looking forward to a return visit - next time with a boat ride down Bow Creek to the main River Dart thrown in for good measure.
The Maltsters Arms: From Devon’s Maritime Past to Today’s Riverside Retreat
The old pub was originally a pair of cottages, constructed in the early 19th century when Tuckenhay quay was bustling with commercial activity. Various local commodities such as lime, corn, paper, cider and malt were transported by ship from the hamlet and by the mid 1800s cider and malting barley for beer-making were produced on the quayside. William Manning and John Earle owned a cider works here and the Maltsters Arms was named after Thomas Edmond’s malthouse.
Trade continued to flourish right up until the beginning World War Two. It is hard to believe now when you see just how peaceful the creek is, but in 1939 the last large ship to arrive at the quayside directly in front of the pub was the 240 ton coaster, Reedness.
Bow Creek in evening light
How did she get up to this remote place? That’s what I found myself asking, looking around at the silent tree-lined shores which now play host only to egrets and herons. Well, they used to dredge Bow Creek - and this continued after the war because they kept making a great deal of cider up at Tuckenhay. The barrels were still taken away down-river, but now on much smaller barges. Once dredging ceased, however, the creek silted up to some degree making it navigable only by the smaller boats that visit today.
And here is a fact about Tuckenhay that might have you checking the history books. I am reliably told that this out-of-the-way hamlet was illuminated by the first municipal gas lighting in the world. It was 1806, and they had it here before it was introduced to London or Manchester! You can see the original gas engine-house just 200 yards up the road from the pub.
You can imagine the local smuggling fraternity wasn’t best pleased. Apparently quite a bit of smuggling went on up here in the privacy and seclusion of the upper reaches of the Dart. Not after the gleam of the gas-light, it didn’t.
Inside The Maltsters Arms Today
“These days we’re proud to be the hub of the village,” smiles Andy. “The owners Matt Clark and Erin Allgrove only took over this spring and already the place has built a big following. Matt ran various other well-known watering holes in the South West, including the popular Rising Sun at Lynmouth. Now people are finding that it’s well worth navigating down the Devon lanes or up Bow Creek to find a very special pub in such a stunning location.
“Roasts and board games by the fire in the winter and Pimms and barbecues on the quayside in the summer…. There's a good choice of real ales to accompany our fantastic menus which always include fresh local fish,” says Andy. “Regulars love our events like the open mic nights, quiz nights, pie and curry nights and our beer and oyster festival.
“Our six beautiful en-suite riverside rooms are proving very popular and people come up river to moor on our quayside and make the most of our water supply and three-phase electricity.”
I couldn’t put it better myself, Andy. And hats off to you old mate for finding there is a life after journalism. A real-life Mr Polly, if you’ve ever read HG Well’s wonderful novel of that name.
Sidebar: Pubs and Publishing – The Story Behind Bosun Bob
As mentioned in the main article, I was speaking to one of the new owners of The Maltsters and she surprised me by divulging that she has recently set up her own book publishing company.
One reason for doing such a thing is that Erin Allgrove has written a couple of excellent children’s books which feature fabulous illustrations. Bosun Bob, The Salty Old Sea Dog (published last year) and Bosun Bob And The Cat With No Name (published this year) have quickly become popular with young readers, as well as parents and grandparents.
Erin’s style is timeless and little nostalgic. She wrote the first book while living onboard her yacht Rocket and sailing from Exmouth to Croatia and back with her family and dog Bob. Her love of sailing and books was inspired by her dad, also called Bob, who shared his love of boats and reading with Erin.
Before becoming a writer she had a successful career in marketing and public relations working in a variety of sectors including film and TV, higher education and healthcare. All a long way from her present twin occupations of writing children’s books and helping to run a pub.
“I am passionate about children’s literacy and we support schools, bookshops, literary events and arts festivals whenever we can,” she told me. “I love meeting young readers and engaging in conversations about the books that they love.
Bosun Bob is available via Gardners and directly through Langrove Publishing as well as through bookshops, Waterstones and Amazon.
