The Ship Inn ... by jenkahas2dogs

The Ship Inn was built in 1290 making it one of the oldest inns in England. In those days the sea came in much closer to Porlock village than it does today. The Ship Inn was very close to the shoreline, an ideal spot for smuggers! Rumour has it that there was a secret tunnel linking the inn to a nearby cottage, for getting rid of contraband when the excise men came knocking! Over the centuries The Ship Inn has welcomed many travellers. In 1843 the first stagecoach came to Porlock and the inn entered a new stage of its existence. The steepness of Porlock Hill (1 in 4 ) meant that 2 horses had to be stabled at the inn. These were to help the already exhausted stagecoach horses to climb to the top. The Ship Inn has many literary links. In 1798 Robert Southey who later became poet laureate, wrote a sonnet about Porlock while enjoying a drink at the bar. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, while writing "Kubla Khan " famously blamed his loss of poetic inspiration on a visit by "A person from Porlock ", believed to be someone from the Ship Inn asking him to pay his drinks bill. In 1869 RD. Blackmore published his famous novel " Lorna Doone ". Although it was a work of fiction it was partly based in fact. The Doones were a band of local robbers who had terrorised the neighbourhood. Scenes in the book were set in The Ship Inn, as they must have been in real life. Nowadays, The Ship is very much a part of village life and is extremely popular with visitors from all over the world, due to its unique character, great hospitality and wonderful food! via 500px http://j.mp/1amrAQN