Clovelly Christmas lights

If you are planning a trip to the Wilde Rowan Christmas shop a good day to visit will be the 4th December. If you have never been to Clovelly this will be a perfect opportunity to see this unique and beautiful village lit up for the festive season. Clovelly is a historical village with a difference, it is situated on a steep hillside above the North Devon coastline and its Harbour. There are no cars in the village and it is accessed down the cobbled streets by foot only. Unusually, the village is privately owned and has been by the same family since 1738. Their policy is to care for Clovelly and keep it in the style of mid C19th, which involves much quality maintenance using traditional materials and craftsmanship.

Clovelly is a stunning village during the Summer months when the houses are covered in flowers and bunting and the sea is a beautiful blue. However the winter months bring a different quality and wildness to the village and the many villagers who live in it and help to keep this amazing place alive. Many tourists are shocked to learn that it is a living village, they are amazed that the villagers bring their shopping and anything else into the village by sledge and sometimes out by donkey. It has a strong history of fishing and this is being preserved by the existing owner Hon. John Rous.

On the 4th December is the Clovelly Christmas lights switch on and is a very local festival enjoyed by villagers and the surrounding villages in the area. Clovelly promises to be a magical place for this event and I am very much looking forward to it as this is our first Christmas living here. A local brass band leads the procession down to the harbour and accompanies Christmas carols sung with the Torridge Male Voice Choir. A hog roast, punch and mince pies follow and Father Christmas makes a surprise visit. At about 5 p.m. the switch is thrown and the entire village and harbour are lit up. It's a fantastic sight and there is a grand finale of fireworks to finish off. If you are planning a trip why not make an afternoon of it, come to our lovely shop, buy your Christmas gifts, have them gift wrapped for you and then make your way down to the village for this magical event.

For more information this event and others at Clovelly see their website

I hope to see you there.