The picture-postcard village of Beer nestles in Lyme Bay, on the 95 mile long Jurassic Coast, England’s first natural World Heritage Site and forms part of the South West Coastal Path. The shingle beach still boasts a small fleet of working fishing boats and the surrounding picturesque white chalk cliffs provide a natural suntrap sheltering the cove from prevailing westerly winds.

Historically, the village’s main industries have always been mining for stone, fishing and farming but today the major source of income is from tourism. In fact Beer has been an important area for people to live for ages – first Neolithic man, then 2000 years ago the Romans, who planted vines here and quarried the limestone and then, being a sheltered seaside location, fishing soon became a way of life. The stone quarries consist of miles of underground tunnels, today known as Beer Quarry Caves, and has become a major tourist attraction. Legend has it that the famous smuggler Jack Rattenbury used to store his contraband in the tunnels and some may still be there, hidden away. Again, legend has it that the tunnels went from Beer Head all the way to Bovey House. Beer has been in the past famous for its lace work, being introduced by Flemish refugees escaping persecution between 1568 and 1577. This lace was some of the finest of its kind and a length was specially commissioned for the trimming to Queen Victoria’s wedding dress. Today, the art of lace work is kept alive by a few enthusiasts who practice the skill.

The limestone was commercially quarried as it was highly prized because of its workability for carving and it can be seen in cathedrals such as Exeter, Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s. Today, there are no continuous quarry workings but occasionally a few cubes are extracted for restoration purposes. Within the chalk and limestone, seams of black flint were frequent, with the consequence that this made a very good building product when napped. Examples of this work can be found in several buildings within the village, the Dolphin Hotel possibly being one of the most impressive. Another fine example is the surrounding walls of the Moon Garden at Pecorama. During the Civil War periods it was often said that if a flintlock gun had Beer flint, it was virtually guaranteed to fire, Beer flint being one of the hardest and finest in the UK.

When the opportunity arises to explore the broader locality visitors are spoilt for choice. Taking the main road out of the village eastwards you will come to Seaton and Axmouth. Although Seaton is more exposed to the elements than Beer, it has a most wonderful beach with a mile long promenade. Naturally, tourism is a very important industry to the residents. In the spring of 2016 the impressive Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre will open and definitely will be worth exploring. What is more, Seaton also has a famous Nature Reserve with several bird watching facilities, the River Axe being a natural host for many kinds of birds and small mammals. Further east there is Lyme Regis, an ancient scenic resort famous for its historic harbour, Cobb and fossiling and a landing post for the Duke of Monmouth in his famous ill-fated Rebellion. Going west you will find the majestic regency town of Sidmouth, boasting beautiful gardens, leisurely walks, fine hotels, clean beaches and friendly shops.

You can get in touch in a variety of ways – use our contact form below, call us or come and see us at our office reception.

Information Line: +44 (0)1297 21542

Pecorama
Underleys
Beer
Devon
EX12 3NA

Pecorama@peco.co

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