A Little of Hope Cove's History....

Hope Cove and The Cottage Hotel have a long and fascinating history.

First mentioned in the Azzise Rolls for 1281, Hope is comprised of two tiny villages, Inner and Outer Hope which are linked by a road and footpath.

For much of its life a fairly remote fishing village, the principle means by which its inhabitants supplemented their incomes was by smuggling and plundering wrecked ships.

Many wrecks have occurred in and around the village over the years. Hope Cove was the only place in England where Spaniards came ashore during the reign of Queen Elisabeth I. St. Peter the Great, one of the ships of the Spanish Armada was wrecked on the Shippen Rock in 1588. A number of buildings in the South Devon area incorporate old beams salvaged from the wreckage of the Armada.

In 1760 more than 700 people lost their lives when the HMS Ramilles was wrecked upon the rocks at the base of Bolt Tail.

Another famous wreck was that of the Finnish Barque, Herzogin Cecilie. The 334 foot four masted training ship ran aground on the Ham Stone on the 25th April, 1936.

During the war Hope Cove was home to numerous RAF men and women who operated the Radar and Radio Stations in the area. Many aircrews were boarded at The Cottage Hotel prior to flying dangerous missions throughout Europe.