On this day in Wembury — 4 July 1931

The Western Morning News advertised seaside leisure at Heybrook Bay, encouraging visitors to “Enjoy the sunshine by taking tea on the terrace at The Rendezvous, the tea-house on the cliffs.” Guests were assured that if the weather turned unkind, they could take tea in the lounge, with “glorious views from every window.” The advert noted that the Down Thomas bus from East Street (Plymouth) would bring visitors out directly, and that “no entrance fee is payable to the estate if visiting The Rendezvous.”

The same notice also promoted The Guest House at Heybrook Bay, with unrivalled outlook, excellent food, “unspoilt coast,” a sun lounge, and special Devon luncheons. As with the tea-house, visitors were reminded that no estate fee applied if they were patrons.

In addition, the advert mentioned Sunny Bovisand, where a newly furnished bungalow on the estate was available to let for four persons, managed by the Bovisand Sands and Pier Company Ltd.

Context

These adverts show how, by the early 1930s, the Heybrook Bay and Bovisand estates were being actively promoted as affordable leisure destinations for Plymouth residents. The detail about “no entrance fee” reflects a period when parts of the coast were privately controlled, and charges for access to estates or cliff paths were sometimes imposed unless you were visiting designated businesses.

The Rendezvous tea-house became a well-known landmark at Heybrook Bay in the interwar years, part of the village’s transformation from a fishing hamlet into a holiday retreat. It capitalised on the motor-bus link from Plymouth, which made day trips simple for city dwellers.

(Source: Western Morning News, 4 July 1931 — “Heybrook Bay” advert.)