The Pack o' Cards

A 300-year-old Grade II listed inn gives The Pack o' Cards its character before you have even reached the bar. Built in 1690 with four floors, thirteen rooms, thirteen fireplaces, fifty-two stairs and fifty-two windows, the building turns playing-card numerology into architecture rather than leaving it on a pub sign.

You are staying in a small guesthouse with six en-suite bedrooms, a traditional Devonshire free-house pub and a family-run restaurant. The feel is sociable rather than resort-like: a place for a proper meal, a drink by the fire of village life, and a quiet return to a historic building at the end of the day.

English is the language of the management, and the hotel’s website is available in English, so you will be understood in the language used locally. Families have room to settle in, with a riverside beer garden, children’s play equipment, games and bowling; dog-friendly areas also make this a practical choice if a well-behaved four-legged companion is travelling with you.

High Street places you in Combe Martin, North Devon, in the centre of a coastal village rather than directly on a private stretch of sand. Combe Martin Beach is about 0.7 miles away, with the village sitting adjacent to the beach and the South West Coast Path. It is a short walk for a look at the coast, though the hotel itself is not a beach hotel in the barefoot-from-the-room sense.

The surrounding landscape is rolling countryside with Exmoor close by. The entrance to Exmoor National Park is about 2.7 miles away, while Watermouth Castle is around 2.5 miles from the inn. You can also reach Ilfracombe and Wildersmouth beach in roughly 5 miles by road, giving you another coastal outing when a change of scenery is called for.

The village centre and local amenities are within a short walk. Harbour House is about 0.6 miles away, while nearby food options include Top Chippy at roughly 550 feet and Harbour Deli at around 0.6 miles. Exeter International Airport is approximately 51 miles away by road.

The six rooms keep the useful basics close at hand: private shower bathrooms, tea-making facilities, a flat-screen television, a wardrobe, towels, toiletries and a hairdryer. A socket beside the bed makes charging less of a treasure hunt, while heating matters in this part of the coast when the weather decides to stop playing nicely.

For two, The Pink Room and The Fuchsia Room offer a super-king-size bed and more room to spread out than the standard bedrooms. The Rose Room is the simpler couple’s choice, with a king-size bed and en-suite shower. If you are travelling as a small family or need separate sleeping arrangements, the rooms with a king-size bed and single bed are the more practical direction; the Flower Room uses a sofa bed alongside its king-size bed.

Soundproof rooms help keep the night separate from the pub’s social life, and some rooms have garden views. Private entrances are available, daily housekeeping keeps the routine straightforward, and ironing facilities are useful when your kit bag has treated your clothes with the usual lack of respect.

Breakfast is included, with a full English served to residents from 8:30 to 9:30. That gives you a proper start rather than a heroic attempt to operate on coffee alone, although an early boat departure would need checking against the breakfast window.

The Pack o' Cards Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its menu covers British and traditional English cooking, pub classics and fresh fish, with Greek, Indian and international choices also available. Sandwiches and light bites cover the less ceremonial moments, while vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options are part of the menu rather than an afterthought.

There is one bar: the Pack o' Cards Pub, a traditional Devonshire free-house with local ales, barista coffee and hot, cold, soft and alcoholic drinks. Bar meals run from midday to 3pm; the restaurant serves Monday to Saturday from noon to 3pm and from 5:30pm to 9pm, with booking required. Sunday brings a carvery from noon to 7pm, with bookings taken from noon to 6pm.

The riverside garden is the main place to let the day slow down. Outdoor tables and a children’s play area give it a useful split personality: adults can sit with a drink while younger travellers burn off what remains of their energy. The sun terrace adds another place to sit outside when the weather is behaving.

For a stay that is not built around lying beside a pool, the options are pleasantly local. The South West Coast Path is within walking distance, and the coast, countryside and Exmoor provide scope for walking and cycling. Horse riding, canoeing, windsurfing, fishing and windsurfing are available in the wider area, while a golf course lies within 3 miles.

Back at the inn, bowling, darts, board games, a games room, live music and televised live sport give you reasons to stay in when the evening is damp or your legs have had enough scenery. Temporary art galleries add another small diversion, and the setting works for couples as well as families without pretending to be a spa retreat.

Free private parking is available on site, with electric-car charging in the car park. WiFi is free throughout the hotel, and luggage storage, private check-in and check-out, express check-in and check-out, and an ATM are available. The upper floors are reached by stairs only, so the room location is worth considering if stairs are a nuisance after a long day.

Check-in runs from 3pm to 10pm, and the property needs your expected arrival time in advance. Check-out is from 8:30am to 10:30am. Exeter International Airport is about 51 miles away by road; airport transfer arrangements are not listed, so reaching the inn is something to plan separately.

The minimum age for check-in is 18. Children of all ages are welcome, with cots and extra beds available for the relevant room option. Cash is an accepted payment method, and well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar and in many areas of the inn, including parts of the restaurant.

Electric-car charging is available in the hotel car park. It is a practical measure for reaching a coastal village by road without turning the sustainability section into a sermon.