The Admiral Collingwood

The Admiral Collingwood is a J D Wetherspoon pub located on Wilder Road in Ilfracombe, north Devon, in the United Kingdom. It operates as one of the many individual pubs within the J D Wetherspoon estate, the British pub company founded by Tim Martin that grew from a single north London pub in 1979 into a nationwide operator. The pub takes its name from Admiral Lord Cuthbert Collingwood, Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and it occupies a building with its own local history: the site was previously the Collingwood Hotel, which had welcomed visitors to Ilfracombe for over 130 years before its closure and subsequent conversion into a Wetherspoon pub. Like other Wetherspoon outlets, The Admiral Collingwood offers a broad menu of food and drink at value-oriented prices, with a particular emphasis on real ale, including guest ales and participation in the company's twice-yearly beer festivals. The pub is open from 8:00am daily, closing at midnight Sunday to Thursday and at 1:00am on Friday and Saturday. Children under 18 are permitted on the premises only between 8:00am and 10:00pm. Facilities include Wi-Fi, TV screens, a licensed outside area or deck, and step-free access. Customers can order food and drinks to their table via the Wetherspoon app. The pub participates in Wetherspoon's seasonal programmes, such as the autumn beer festival featuring international brewers and a range of real ales, and the Christmas menu available across Wetherspoon pubs. Its interior decoration reflects local history, with displays and text about figures and landmarks connected to Ilfracombe, including Thomas Bowdler and the Ilfracombe Lighthouse, also known as St Nicholas Chapel. As part of J D Wetherspoon plc, The Admiral Collingwood is not a separately listed business; it is a branded outlet within a publicly traded company. Its identity is therefore tied both to the Wetherspoon brand — known for conversion of large, often historic buildings into pubs — and to the specific heritage of the Collingwood Hotel and the maritime history of Ilfracombe.

The Admiral Collingwood is a J D Wetherspoon pub in Ilfracombe, Devon, and its history is intertwined with both the local building it occupies and the wider story of the Wetherspoon chain. The building was formerly the Collingwood Hotel, which had welcomed visitors to north Devon's Ilfracombe for over 130 years before its closure. The imposing five-storey building was named after Admiral Lord Collingwood, Nelson's second-in-command at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Cuthbert Collingwood fired the first shot in the battle and took over command of the British fleet after the fatal wounding of his friend Horatio Nelson. The hotel's name and the pub's subsequent identity thus reflect Ilfracombe's maritime connections. J D Wetherspoon itself began in 1979, when the first pub opened in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December. For its first month it was called Martin's Free House, but was renamed Wetherspoons early in 1980. In the early years, the company's pubs were all located in north London, with the head office above The Dog in Archway. The company expanded through the 1980s and 1990s, introducing innovations such as a dedicated non-smoking bar at The Tally Ho in North Finchley in 1991, the CBS (cleanliness, beer, service) scheme, and the first Wetherspoon News magazine. In 1992 the company was floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60. It also opened its first airport pubs at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 4 that year. The conversion of the former Collingwood Hotel into The Admiral Collingwood followed the Wetherspoon pattern of acquiring large, often historic buildings and adapting them into value-focused pubs. The pub's interior includes displays and text about local history, such as Thomas Bowdler, the English physician and writer known for The Family Shakespeare, and the Ilfracombe Lighthouse, also known as St Nicholas Chapel, which dates back to 1321. These features connect the pub to the town's heritage while it operates as part of a national chain. Today, The Admiral Collingwood operates as one of many Wetherspoon pubs across the United Kingdom, participating in company-wide initiatives such as the twice-yearly beer festivals, the Christmas menu, and app-based ordering. It remains a local pub in Ilfracombe, open daily from 8:00am, with facilities including Wi-Fi, TV screens, a licensed outside area, and step-free access.

• The Collingwood Hotel had welcomed visitors to Ilfracombe for over 130 years before its closure.

• J D Wetherspoon's first pub opens in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December.

• The company is floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60.

• Wetherspoon opens its first two airport pubs at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 4.

Value-oriented community pub within the J D Wetherspoon chain, offering affordable food and drink in a historic building in Ilfracombe.

• Real ale and guest ales

• Beer festival ales (autumn festival with 30 real ales, including five from international brewers)

• Christmas menu

• Spritz cocktails

• Hot honey dishes

1. 1The Admiral Collingwood - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3The Admiral Collingwood - J D Wetherspoon (pub history)jdwetherspoon.com
4. 4About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5Admiral Collingwood (JD Wetherspoon) - Wikidatawikidata.org