Ness Gift Shop in Shaldon

The last practical stop before the Smugglers Tunnel is the shop that faces the pond on Ness Drive. Ness Gift Shop sits on the headland opposite Ness Farm House, the point where the path drops toward Ness Cove Beach.

It carries the things people usually need once they are already heading down: buckets and spades, inflatables, beach games, and a few Lazy Jacks pieces. There is fudge, and there is ice cream from Yarde Farm with clotted cream spooned on top. Iced lollies, cold drinks and a short list of snacks (pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches, cakes) sit alongside hot drinks and cream teas.

The shop’s own description is blunt: the last stop before the beach.

The pond is part of the setting. The shop faces the water and the giant rhubarb, and the ducks (Jemima and her ducklings) use the edges. Cream tea is the thing that keeps people sitting for a few extra minutes rather than walking straight on.

Opening is seasonal and weather-dependent, usually somewhere between 11am and 5pm when the shop is running. Facebook posts give the clearest picture of current hours and what is actually on the shelves that week.

Ness Drive is a short walk from the village and from the ferry landing. The tunnel itself is the steep, stepped route through the cliff to the cove, which is dog-friendly year-round and carries a Seaside Award. The shop is the place that sits between the path and the sand. Current stock and opening notes are on the Facebook page, which is also the contact point if you want to check before you walk up.