Can you visit Clovelly Deveon for free?

Bongedone

Just don't go with a pram! What a nightmare.

Ian-H_4

Clovelly is part of a privately owned estate. Like any other privately owned estate, the owners have the right to charge people to enter the property. This happens at thousands of private estates across the UK and indeed across the world. This is nothing unusual. People don't complain when they have to pay over £10 to visit a country house, so what is everyone complaining about when they have an all-inclusive charge of £5.95 for unlimited access and freedom to roam the entire estate, which is thousands of acres, and the admission includes entrance to two museums in the village as well as an award-winning cinema show (which you can see as many times as you like), not to mention unlimited parking all day and all night should you choose to stay in one of the hotels or B&Bs.

I cannot believe a question which asks how to commit criminal acts has been allowed to stay on this forum. I am requesting that it is taken down. This is not money saving, it is trespassing and also encompasses various offences under the Theft Act, such as making off without payment. You wouldn't try to get into a museum or other tourist attraction by sneaking round private side entrances or climbing over the fence to avoid paying. What's the difference here? Just because it can be done, does not make it right; on the contrary it is extremely wrong, illegal and immoral.

On top of that, the entrance charge is not even there to make money. There is no profit from this. Profit comes from the tourist shops and hotels in the village. The whole of the entrance fees are spent to keep Clovelly in its beautiful state, unchanged for centuries. Renovation and maintenance is extremely expensive. There are over 100 properties needing constant maintenance, and when you think about how inaccessible the place is, you can understand why builders instantly double their quote when Clovelly is mentioned. Also, the owners strive to use original building materials to keep Clovelly how millions of people know and love, which comes at a price. Without the entrance fee, Clovelly would cease to exist in the way it does.

The Visitor Centre, built in 1988, has done nothing to take the charm away from Clovelly; on the contrary it is so that commercial, tacky touristy things are kept out of the village to stop it from being commercialised. Also it is completely out of sight of the village so it is absolutely unnoticed and does not impede on the village in any way whatsoever.

Entrance to Clovelly is cheaper than entrance to any other tourist attraction in North Devon. Fact. Try the Milky Way, the Big Sheep or Hartland Abbey - all over £10 per adult. Yet you don't even think before paying to go there.

I'm just asking that people think before implying Clovelly is a "rip-off" and condoning serious cirminal offences.

born_blonde

Technically you are correct.

However if you are that good make money out of charging for the museums etc.

I would imagine the pubs, b & b's and tea rooms charge at a commercial rate not one that is subsidised by having part of their expenses covered by your admission fee.
Failing that get better fences or do public rights of way stop you?

apt

Technically Ian-H isn't correct. Trespass is a civic wrong, but it is only a criminal offence in particular circumstances, e.g. on railway land.

vikingaero

I imagine Clovelley is like the car parks where Private Parking Firms issue fake invoices - if they were that bothered about the land they would secure it.

wealdroam

Ian-H wrote: »

Renovation and maintenance is extremely expensive. There are over 100 properties needing constant maintenance, and when you think about how inaccessible the place is, you can understand why builders instantly double their quote when Clovelly is mentioned.

Do you charge these builder £5.95 a pop?

If so, maybe that's why they charge you extra.

Ian-H_4

vikingaero wrote: »

I imagine Clovelley is like the car parks where Private Parking Firms issue fake invoices - if they were that bothered about the land they would secure it.

No it does nothing of the sort. Parking is free and unpatrolled and no PPC tactics are used.

A general point to everyone - be realistic and think about what the fee covers, then compare it to entrance to other attractions and I think you will find it is decent value. Also I challenge you to find one country estate kind of place that doesn't charge to go onto some part of it, e.g. the manor house or the gardens.

No, builders are not charged to come in, how ridiculous, nor is anyone who is visiting friends/family living there, nor is anyone who works there in any capacity, nor is anyone who is staying at any of the hotels or B&Bs there, nor is anyone who is just coming onto the estate to use the coast path.

Also it is free of charge to go there between 5:30pm and 9am (between 3pm and 10am in the winter). So there is nothing to hide and there are legal ways of going to the village without paying the fee. As this is a not-for-profit operation there is no problem with telling anyone this.

Unlike most attractions the entrance charge is not there to make profits, it is for survival. Of course profits are made from gift shops, donkey rides, hotels etc. That is the business part. The entrance fee has absolutely nothing to do with that.

The owners, alternatively, could just ban anyone from coming into Clovelly if they wanted to. That would be another way of doing it. But they realise its appeal so they allow anyone to come in, paying a fee that is way under average, which goes straight back into the village. Anyone who moans about paying, well no-one's forcing you to go, there are many other attractions in the area which cost up to £15 per person to visit which no-one seems to have a problem with.

Ian-H_4

apt wrote: »

Technically Ian-H isn't correct. Trespass is a civic wrong, but it is only a criminal offence in particular circumstances, e.g. on railway land.

Yes, that's correct. But making off without payment is a criminal offence in accordance with Section 3 of the Theft Act 1978. And pursuant to Section 4(2)(b), anyone convicted in Crown Court of such an offence faces a maximum punishment of 2 years' imprisonment.

boliston

I'm pretty sure that I have not committed any sort of criminal act by walking into Clovelly along a public footpath instead of via the main tourist route via the visitor centre!
I did not pass any notice that said a fee is payable and was not asked at any time to pay a fee.

speedt5r

Ian-H wrote: »

Yes, that's correct. But making off without payment is a criminal offence in accordance with Section 3 of the Theft Act 1978. And pursuant to Section 4(2)(b), anyone convicted in Crown Court of such an offence faces a maximum punishment of 2 years' imprisonment.

Lol :T would we have the same rights if the village was not as discribed. i would like my money back please.