The Seven Stars, Dartmouth

A brilliant traditional back street pub which is grade II listed as parts of it date from the early 1600’s. It is owned by the Wellington Pub Company but they operate it as a free house. The entrance on the Smith Street side of the building underneath a first floor jetty leads into a long and narrow room with a public bar area at the front and a slightly plusher lounge area at the back. The public bar area has a wood floor, a pool table in the middle immediately by the entrance, a brick fire place and cast iron grate in the right hand wall and a dartboard in the front right corner, the only seating in this area is provided by a hand full of high stools at the bar. The small wood bar counter is in the middle of the long right hand wall. The lounge area has a carpeted floor, a second fire place in the right hand wall, half wood panel on the walls and half a dozen wood settles with blue fabric padding which are arranged into booths. There are exposed timber beams and pillars throughout the two areas which are decorated with various pump clips and horse brasses. Ales on offer were Hunters Gold, Crack Shot, Dreamer and St Austell Tribute. When I visit an unfamiliar pub I normally ask whoever serves me what the regular beers are on the bar, but I forgot on this occasion. It’s a fair assumption that the Tribute is probably a regular. The Hunters Dreamer and Gold were both in good condition in my opinion. This is a bit of a back street gem with a homely traditional interior and some good local beers on the bar. I think that the only other places that I remember seeing Hunters beers (Ipplepen, Devon) during our holiday were the Wetherspoons in Paignton and Torquay. A large sign on the left side of the building claims that this is the oldest pub in Dartmouth which may be true as I know that although the Cherub nearby is older, it was a merchants house for many years before becoming a pub. I had not planned to visit this pub and just popped in for a swift one after a couple in the Cherub but I was pleasantly surprised and I would return.