A POPULAR Porlock pub has been named one of England’s top 500 public houses.

The Ship Inn featured in the Telegraph’s ‘Expert Guide’ which was released on Friday, July 4.

Chosen for their “charming character, welcoming staff, rich history and award-winning beer”, the Telegraph’s hand-picked list of 500 national pubs “represent the very best the country has to offer.”

Landlord Royston Connor, who has run The Ship Inn (Top Ship) in Porlock with his wife Caroline for 19 years - having purchased the pub in 2006 - says he was delighted to receive the accolade.

Mr Connor said: "This is testament to how hard all our staff work to ensure every customer receives the best possible service and comes on the back of us being named CAMRA Somerset Pub of the Year for 2025.”

The guide was curated by veteran pub writer Will Hawkes who visited “thousands” of pubs across the country in his search for the best.

Mr Hawkes said: "One of England's most underrated traditions is when a place has two pubs by the same name in a naked attempt to confuse tourists. Such is the case in Porlock, where you'll find this Ship ("Top Ship") and another ("Bottom Ship") in nearby Porlock Weir.

"The Top Ship has a delightful interior, a thatched roof, plenty of ale and cider, and rooms too."

The Ship Inn in Porlock, known colloquially as The Top Ship, dates back to at least the 15th century welcoming a range of celebrity visitors over the years including poets Robert Southey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

With ties to smuggling, and as an invaluable stop in the long and arduous journey by horse drawn coach to and from Lynmouth, the Exmoor pub was, and remains at the “forefront of village life” say the owners.