Inside the special Torquay neighbourhood fighting to save its 'village' pub

Mark Hayes, Matt Winstanley, Chris Pickford and Andy Sandford at the Devon Dumpling in Torquay
-Credit:DevonLive


Nearly 5,000 people have signed a petition to save a pub at the heart of its community from closure. Considering that's considerably more than those who actually live within the old boundaries of Shiphay, Torquay, it is a mighty show of support.

The Devon Dumpling is under threat after noise complaints prompted the council to launch a licensing review.

There are real fears the pub could close if extra conditions are imposed - striking a financial hammer blow which the business could not survive. It comes at a time when bars across Devon are calling time at an unprecedented rate due to rising costs and a fall off in trade.

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The difference with the Dumpling is that trade is actually booming - thanks to the popularity of live music nights. In the mind of locals the very factors that make it so popular are being used as weapons to destroy it.

DevonLive visited the Torquay suburb to ask locals about the importance of keeping the doors open and why the Dumpling is more than just a pub. We also spoke about life in the residential area - one of the most coveted postcodes in the town - known for its village-like vibe and friendly, unpretentious atmosphere.

It's lunchtime, midweek, and Mark, Matt, Chris and Andy are at the bar. Working men with a day off. A rough estimate is they've spent nearly 100 combined years visiting the Dumpling. Mark suspects his stool is the same one he parked his backside on when he first came into the pub 23 years ago.

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They embody the great English tradition of men solving the world's problems over a pint. Or as they put it, "talking crap."

"It's just a shame what they're thinking of doing to it," says Mark, referring to the licensing review. "I don't come in here every day but the days I'm off work I come in. You can always meet up with someone you know.

"They do so much for the old people. If you came in here on Tuesday there's about 40 elderly people. People who are blind and have walking dogs they'll all be in here having a cup of coffee. It's open early for them. What are they going to do if it closes? That's like their focus, their little release.

"You've heard the scenarios where people move out from London and they go down and they find some little village and then start moaning about the bells on Sunday morning. As far as I'm concerned they should f**k off, they shouldn't be there."

Mark himself is a 'blow-in', originally from Windsor. It's the duty of people moving into the area to embrace village life rather than demand change, he thinks. "You don't move next to a pub and expect it to be quiet," he says.

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The customers here today don't visit on music night. But for a pub to survive in 2025 it has to have something for everyone and live music is popular and a massive cash generator for the pub.

Chris is Torquay born and bred. "Shiphay is classed as a village," he says. "I think if you ask anybody in Torquay their area feels like a village, whether it's Barton, Chelston or wherever.

"It's a lovely area. The pub is just the centre of the community really, a pub always is. It's a quiet area. You don't have many main roads or bother with crime. It's more of an affluent area of Torquay compared to others. The hospital is really nearby and the shops. I love it."

Josh Ballard, manager of the Devon Dumpling in Torquay
Josh Ballard, manager of the Devon Dumpling in Torquay -Credit:DevonLive

Shiphay is synonymous with the local grammar schools, Torquay boys and girls, which are among the best in the country and draw pupils from Exeter and further afield every day. But it also has a flourishing primary school, cafe, Co-Op, and Post Office.

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The oldest part of Shiphay is Water Lane. Charlotte Carruthers, is pushing a pram down the narrow road that weaves between a cluster of traditional Devon thatch cottages.

Her parents live in Wellswood on the other side of town. Both are sought-after neighbourhoods. She and her partner chose Shiphay because it is easier to get to Exeter and Newton Abbot for work.

"It takes another 20 minutes to get out of Torquay from Wellswood," she says. "Also you get a bit more for your money here. Wellswood has a lot of Victorian properties and it feels like there is more space here. People always say hello and it's a really nice place to live."

She says the last event of any drama here was a huge fire which destroyed a thatch cottage which was used as a holiday home. Fortunately nobody was hurt but the owners were devastated.

Fire ravaged thatched house in Torquay
Fire ravaged thatched house in Torquay -Credit:DevonLive

The blaze was attended by 12 crews and the hollowed out remains still stand as reminder of what happened.

Nigel and Debbie Jefferies are working from their cottage home. "This part of Devon is magical," says Nigel, a composer and piano teacher. "There's the sea and Dartmoor but our favourite thing to do at the weekend is to explore the country pubs. Devon really has some amazing country pubs, so beautiful."

The couple arrived here from Bristol after lockdown. They had never visited Torquay before but chose Torquay over Dorset due to its faster broadband speeds, allowing them to work easily from home.

"I'd been watching Escape To The Country," says Debbie a credit controller. "This was a gorgeous little thatch. We just fell in love with the place. We are not normally rash and impulsive but we took a chance and haven't regretted moving here in any way."

It might come as a surprise to people who endure the daily commute but Nigel says the roads in Devon are virtually free of traffic compared to Bristol. What has surprised the couple is how easy it has been to make friends and meet interesting people.

Debbie and Nigel Jefferies fell in love with their property in Shiphay Torquay
Debbie and Nigel Jefferies fell in love with their property in Shiphay Torquay -Credit:DevonLive

Debbie admits she "thought people might all be yokels" but it hasn't been the case.

Clair McCulloch sells hot potatoes from the Spud Shack Torquay, a trailer parked outside the local shop. She warns me to get the name right as a competitor with an almost identical handle trades out of Paignton. She is doing a roaring trade today in home-made chilli toppings.

"Business can get quiet but local people have been very supportive," she says.

A recent road closure hit business hard and she thinks little thought was given to the impact it would have on traders. Shop owner Pete Herring, whose family has owned the local store for 44 years, agrees.

"It feels like we've had a road closure every year for the last six years," he says. He also owns the Post Office in Castle Circus.

Clair McCulloch at the Spud Shack in Shiphay
Clair McCulloch at the Spud Shack in Shiphay -Credit:DevonLive

If there is one subject that unites most people in Torquay it is the shambolic state of Castle Circus. "Torquay is a beautiful place," says Clair, "but that area of the town centre is so run down."

The manager at the Devon Dumpling is Josh Ballard. He says the response to the petition and outpouring of support has been beyond anything he could have imagined.

"It's been overwhelming," he says. "Everyone I've spoken to has told me how much the pub means to them.

"It's not just a pub. We've got so many families who use us, old and young. People who come for food and the £10 lunches to the older people on coffee mornings on Tuesdays. Some of the people who come here would be lost without the pub.

"There's a couple of older ladies who sit at home all day. Their husbands have passed away and the children moved on so they come down to the pub and chat. People in the pub might be the only people they see all day. That's what I mean when I say it is more than a pub.

The Devon Dumpling in Torquay
The Devon Dumpling in Torquay -Credit:DevonLive

"We are a huge part of the Shiphay community. We do birthdays, wakes, charity quizzes. We made £3,000 in a night for young men's mental health."

He says he has tried to reach out and speak to the small number of local people who have complained about the noise. On the couple of nights a month when there is live music he reminds customers to move on quickly once the evening is over and respect neighbours.

But noise is not the only issue. The pub has also been told to sort out its smoking area, known as 'the cage'. This has resulted in a bizarre ventilation row. To the casual observer it resembles a perfectly reasonable outdoor sitting area for smokers with a roof for shelter. But the council says it is not compliant with smoke free regulations.

As a result the pub has removed a section of roof so that no more than 50 per cent of the cage is covered. Smokers can still inhale but might get wet while doing it.

"We don't really know whether the council is hoping to take the live music licence away from us or to shorten trading hours," Josh says. "It's really not easy.

"I don't want the pub to shut down. I want to work with neighbours, to build bridges. But without me running a successful pub I wouldn't have a job."