A tricky ascent and descent but well worth the effort. The clip doesn't do justice to the haunting magic of the wooded glade which was the site of the former Labrador Bay Hotel until the fire of March 1938 destroyed it. The history of the site goes back to 1643 when a cod fisherman, Captain Trapp settled there.
3 comments:
My Great Uncle Alec Stuart Williams was manager (maybe owner?) of the Labrador Bay Hotel in May 1934 when he applied for a licence according to a local newspaper article of that date. Do you know where I can find more facts about the hotel and its owners/staff in the 1930s?
Peter Williams
Ashtead, Surrey
Looks like Hotel Labrador is situated to the West Smugglers Top
so the derelict 400 stairs would be accessible from the road to the house shown on the brilliant film
The garage of Smugglers Top was the engine house for the small cable car that allowed goods to be sent down to the hotel. Mrs Lord of Shaldon, told me how her brothers put her in the cable car when she was 5 and sent her down! Richard Ashton explored the ruins in 1946, there were still building walls visible he told me. Mr Jackson of Teignmouth - explored the ruins in 1950s found a manhole and jumped down, what must have been a water tank, luckily he manage to get out again!
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