UK’s Best Coastal Pubs With Roaring Fires to Visit this Winter

Sea air whipping a glow to your cheeks. Goosebumps after a bracing dip in the ocean. Standing atop cliffs pounded by wild waves. Walking along beaches, stripped bare by nature. Then warming your cockles by the fire in a cosy coastal inn. What’s not to love about a winter break by the seaside, when blustery beach days end in these water’s edge pubs with roaring fires? 

Tinners Arms, Zennor, Cornwall

Did you know that the pearly cove beneath Zennor’s cliffs is home to a legendary mermaid that once lured a local chorister into the sea? Lose yourself in the magical scenery of West Cornwall on a stomp along the South West Coast Path, then hunker beside the fire under the low ceilings of the 13th century Tinner’s Arms, loved by DH Lawrence and tucked in the rugged, Atlantic-lashed landscape that has inspired many myths and legends.

Old Neptune, Whitstable, Kent

Once a wooden beer house that was swept away by northerly gales and a high tide, the Old Neptune, or The Neppy, as it’s also known, has welcomed locals and visitors into its cosy glow since the 1800s. After being rebuilt, Kent’s famous pub on the beach is still standing strong, inviting you in to warm up by a glowing fire, fill up on traditional British pub grub, listen to live music and watch those glowing winter sunsets with a beer in hand.

Griffin Inn, Dale

For 300 years the fire has warmed the cosy interior of the Griffin Inn pub, tucked behind the sea wall at the mouth of the Milford Haven waterway. Having weathered many storms and burned bright at the heart of this small community in Wales, there is no better place to tuck into local seafood, sip real ales and feel the glow of local hospitality after exploring the trails and beaches of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. 

The Old Ship Inn, Seahouses, Northumberland

Faced by the fury of the North Sea, Northumberland’s coastline is spectacular in winter, when swells crash on wild, empty beaches, castle ruins stand sentry on rugged headlands, and fishing boats take refuge in colourful harbours. Wrap up and explore its untamed beauty and rich heritage, then seek refuge in The Olde Ship Inn beside Seahouses harbour, in a saloon bar dropping in nautical artefacts and lit by the glow of an open fire.

The Bell Inn, Watchet, Somerset 

Listed in the UK’s top 30 pubs by The Telegraph for good reason, The Bell Inn is cosy coastal sanctuary in the coastal hamlet of Watchet. Just footsteps from the marina, it’s the oldest pub in town, where wordsmiths Wordsworth and Coleridge have warmed up beside the fire, and the latter is thought to have started his most famous work – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Rouse your own muse, join the pub quiz, or simply sit back and sip local ales and ciders by the open fire, after days exploring The Quantocks and the North Somerset coastline. 

The Smugglers Inn, Osmington Mills, Dorset

Once upon a time this pretty thatched pub, The Smugglers Inn, was the headquarters for 17th century smugglers in South Dorset. And while it has retained its historic character, with low ceilings, wooden beams and a roaring fire for the those chilly winter nights, these days it’s not contraband you’ll find stashed behind the bar, but casks of award-winning local ales – including home-brewed Badger Beers. So what better place to warm up after fossil hunting, coastal hikes and bracing dips on the Jurassic Coast? 

Applecross Inn, Wester Ross, Scotland 

Looking out to the Isle of Skye in the Highlands, there are few better locations to experience the wild and dramatic lochs and landscapes of the remote west coast of Scotland than Applecross. In fact, the drive to get here, along the single-track Bealach na Bà is an adventure in itself, with hairpin bends and breathtaking views reminiscent of alpine passes. Whether you arrive after adventures on foot or from behind the wheel, relax with sea views, seafood and local ales, beside a crackling log fire at the small and cosy Applecross Inn. 

The Golden Lion, Port Isaac, Cornwall

Home of the Bloody Bones Bar, sea views, and a roaring fire, The Golden Lion has been at the heart of Port Isaac’s fishing community since the 18th century. Once smugglers transported their booty between the harbour and cellars via the ‘Bloody Bones’ tunnel, but more recently this cosy inn has been famous for its parts in Doc Martin and the blockbuster Fishermen’s Friends.  Whether you visit North Cornwall for its rugged (and heart pumping) coast path walks, surf-lashed beaches or want to step foot on a film set, finish your adventures beside the flames in this traditional stone-walled inn beside the harbour. 

Book Your Winter Seaside Break Now

Step out onto the beach and warm up beside the fire in a cosy local inn, when you book one of our self-catering coastal retreats this winter.