England Reveals A Hidden Travel Treasure Where Adventurous Passengers Can Request A Rare Train Stop At A Historic Ale-lover’s Pub Deep In The Heart Of Rural Devon

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

In nan rolling hills of agrarian Devon, England offers 1 of its astir enchanting and little-known recreation experiences — a hidden railway extremity that leads straight to a centuries-old pub steeped successful history, charm, and tradition. This uncommon opportunity allows adventurous passengers to petition a typical extremity connected nan scenic Tarka Line, unlocking a travel that feels much for illustration a concealed than a scheduled route. At nan bosom of this countryside flight is The Portsmouth Arms, a historical inn surrounded by lush greenery and timeless tranquility, wherever visitors are rewarded pinch classical British ales, hearty section fare, and nan warmth of a existent practice setting. Unlike immoderate mean pub visit, this unsocial acquisition combines nan thrill of discovering a distant location, nan novelty of arriving by train astatine a request-only station, and nan restitution of stepping into a spot wherever nan past is preserved successful each timber beam and chromatic wall. England’s uncommon blend of carrier nostalgia, earthy beauty, and authentic hospitality turns this off-the-beaten-path pub extremity into an unforgettable escapade for travelers seeking thing acold beyond nan emblematic tourer trail.

England’s Pub pinch a Platform Passengers Can Still Stop At: A Remote Rail Ale Retreat successful Devon

Tucked heavy successful nan greenish folds of Devon’s Taw Valley, an unassuming countryside pub offers much than a hearty repast and a classical ale — it offers thing genuinely uncommon successful modern travel: its ain train stop. The Portsmouth Arms, located successful a distant agelong betwixt Barnstaple and Exeter, still welcomes passengers who petition a typical extremity astatine its namesake train station, a work rooted successful hundreds of years of history and unsocial authorities tied to English aristocracy.

A Pub pinch a Platform

It’s not often you perceive of a pub truthful isolated that it requires a train to extremity by request. But that’s precisely nan lawsuit here. The Portsmouth Arms Station, nestled successful agrarian Devon, remains 1 of Britain’s fewer emblem stops — stations wherever trains only halt if passengers specifically ask. No rows of houses, nary shops, and surely nary precocious thoroughfare situation it. Instead, it’s nan pub — and only nan pub — that shares nan location’s sanction and makes this detour worthwhile.

Travelers connected nan Tarka Line, which runs done immoderate of Devon’s astir scenic countryside, person made this spot a favorite. The statement itself is portion of nan broader Rail Ale Trail, a tourism inaugural designed to wed 2 beloved British traditions: existent ale and railway journeys. The way includes respective recommended pub stops, but The Portsmouth Arms stands isolated acknowledgment to its history, its location, and its continuing railway service. It’s moreover earned a spot connected Trainline’s database of nan apical 5 astir distant stations successful nan country.

A Noble Beginning

The history of nan pub is arsenic unsocial arsenic its train stop. In nan mid-1800s, erstwhile nan railway was pushing its measurement done Devon’s countryside, it crossed onshore owned by nan 5th Earl of Portsmouth, Isaac Newton Wallop. A descendant of an aristocratic family and heir to nan Eggesford estate, nan earl wasn’t peculiarly keen connected losing parts of his onshore to nan caller railway development. In return for granting access, he negotiated a individual perk: trains would extremity astatine a position of his choosing whenever he aliases his guests desired. That location was adjacent to his favored pub — nan 1 that still bears his title.

The railway arrived successful 1854, and on pinch it came this bespoke position arrangement. Although modern railway operations nary longer crook to nan whims of earls, nan extremity remains, honoring some nan humanities statement and nan continuing liking from travelers. To this day, visitors tin still petition a train to extremity there, stepping disconnected into nan quiet countryside and stepping consecutive into a pub acquisition for illustration nary other.

The Heart of a Historic Pub

Beyond its different carrier link, The Portsmouth Arms is simply a destination successful its ain right. Situated betwixt nan mini villages of Burrington and Umberleigh, nan pub has a characteristic steeped successful centuries. Its chromatic walls, heavy beams, and debased ceilings hint astatine stories excessively aged to verify but excessively intriguing to ignore. Over its agelong life, nan building has worn galore hats: toll-house, section inn, and according to rumor, moreover a brothel earlier it became a afloat licensed pub successful 1869.

Today, nan pub is operated by Steve Anscombe and his wife, Karen, who took complete successful 2019. Since then, they’ve worked to support its estimation arsenic some a humanities gem and a welcoming spot for modern visitors. The interiors stay religious to their roots, preserving nan aged charm while offering home-cooked meals and ales that pull not conscionable obstruction travelers but besides hikers, cyclists, and locals alike.

The ambiance is some rustic and reverent, a quiet motion to nan generations who person passed done its doors. It’s not different for guests to walk their sojourn successful speech astir nan pub’s storied past — tales of mischief, mystery, and nobility blend seamlessly pinch nan present-day pint.

In nan quiet countryside of Devon, England offers a uncommon escapade wherever travelers tin petition a typical train extremity astatine The Portsmouth Arms — a historical pub hidden successful nature, rich | successful heritage, and known for its timeless charm, existent ales, and unforgettable agrarian escape.

A Journey Worth Making

What makes The Portsmouth Arms specified a hidden gem isn’t conscionable its history aliases nan railway novelty — it’s nan consciousness of stepping backmost into a slower, simpler time. Where astir train stations are bustling hubs of movement, this 1 feels for illustration it belongs to different era. With nary signs of municipality life for miles, nan pub becomes a destination of deliberate intent — a spot travelers choose, alternatively than stumble upon.

Those who make nan travel tin expect much than conscionable a beer. Whether it’s a Sunday roast by nan fire, a casual pint connected nan plot patio, aliases simply nan joyousness of arriving astatine a spot fewer group cognize exists, there’s a tangible reward successful nan experience. And for train lovers, it’s a uncommon opportunity to witnesser 1 of nan past remaining petition stops successful action — wherever a mini awesome to nan conductor still holds power.

For those successful hunt of thing beyond nan ordinary, nan travel to The Portsmouth Arms delivers some charm and discovery. It’s not conscionable astir getting a portion — it’s astir wherever that portion takes you, and really fewer others person taken nan aforesaid path.