Beer offers a variety of reasons to stay: guided tours through old, man-made caves, beach activities, a named circular route and historic sites. A model railway exhibition, a railway with a distinctive track gauge and a summer regatta are also among the things you can consider when planning your trip. Which one tips the balance depends on whether you would rather spend your time exploring history, enjoying the outdoors by the water, or visiting railway attractions and events.

Cave history at Beer Quarry Caves

Beer Quarry Caves are man-made caves that are 2,000 years old. Guided tours take visitors through the site. The caves were first worked by the Romans; stone from them was used for 24 cathedrals, including Exeter Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral. Parts of Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle were also built with this stone. The caves’ history thus reaches beyond the town to include well-known buildings. Seasonal arrangements for tours may change, so check when tours are available before your visit.

Beer Quarry Caves are designated both a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). These two designations are also among the caves’ notable features. Alongside the history of quarrying, their protected status is therefore another aspect to bear in mind when visiting.

Church and gardens as historic stops

St Michael’s Church in Beer was built by the Hon. Mark Rolle on the site of an existing chapel dating from before 1146. The construction cost approximately £7,186.18s.3d. The sequence of an older chapel followed by a later church offers a concrete point of reference if you are interested in the town’s history. Beer’s Jubilee Gardens were commissioned as part of the celebrations for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. Together, the two sites add different chapters to the story of the caves: the history of a church site and the royal occasion that led to the creation of the gardens.

Model railway and rides at Pecorama

Pecorama’s Model Railway Exhibition features layouts with interactive elements. Pecorama also offers the Beer Heights Light Railway, a 7¼-inch gauge railway that has been welcoming visitors since 1975. Rides are available on selected opening days, during special events and as experiences that can be booked in advance. The exhibition and the railway offer different railway experiences: the exhibition focuses on layouts and their interactive elements, while the Light Railway offers a ride on a railway with a set track gauge. Check opening days and events for your preferred dates; some experiences can be booked in advance.

Beach, circular walk and summer regatta

At Beer Beach, you can go crabbing and explore rock pools. The Beer & Branscombe Circular follows sections of the South West Coast Path. This gives you a choice of different ways to enjoy the outdoors: beach activities or a named walking route. Beer’s regatta takes place every year in summer. Check the regatta dates for your travel year before your visit.

For planning your schedule, it is worth organising the activities tied to specific dates first: cave tours have seasonal arrangements, rides on the Light Railway are available on selected opening days and during special events, and the regatta is an annual summer event. Beach activities, the circular walk and historic sites offer different focuses from these scheduled activities. This lets you choose which themes you want to shape your stay and then search specifically for hotels in Beer for your preferred dates, without assuming that tours or events are available every day.

Discover more destinations: Exminster, Chapelton, Morebath, Honiton, Dittisham, Westward Ho, Hawkchurch, Manaton.

For the broader travel overview: Devon.