The Fisherman's Cot

The Fisherman's Cot is a country inn on the A3072 northwest of Bickleigh, near Tiverton in northeastern Devon, United Kingdom. The property stands beside the River Exe and overlooks Bickleigh Bridge, a medieval bridge dating from the sixteenth century. It combines traditional inn characteristics with accommodation, food and beverage service, event facilities and a prominent riverside setting. Although the building has an old-fashioned appearance, the inn itself was constructed in 1933 as a private fishing lodge associated with nearby Bickleigh Castle. Its thatched roof, waterside location and views of the river have helped establish its identity as a picturesque Devon destination rather than simply a roadside pub. The property is reported to contain 21 guest rooms, with rooms overlooking the River Exe forming part of its appeal. A function room is available for meetings, evening events and wedding receptions, extending the venue's role beyond overnight stays and casual dining. Food and drink are central to the offering. The inn has operated a carvery and has been associated with meat and fish dishes including trout, mussels and Aberdeen Angus burgers. The property has also been reported to hold fishing rights over approximately three quarters of a mile of the River Exe, creating a distinctive connection between the surrounding river environment and its seafood-oriented food proposition. Its Waterside Bar looks across the river and the bridge, reinforcing the venue's scenic and leisure-focused positioning. The Fisherman's Cot also has a cultural association with the song "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Paul Simon reportedly stayed at the inn in the 1960s while performing in the Exeter area, occupying Room Six during a period when the River Exe flooded. A later popular account suggested that the river and Bickleigh Bridge helped inspire the song. The story became part of the inn's folklore, although it was disputed in 2003 when Art Garfunkel said that Simon's inspiration came from a hymn book. The available account therefore treats the connection as a widely repeated association rather than an established fact. The inn is operated by Marston's Inns. Its brand proposition is rooted in traditional English hospitality, local landscape, historic-looking architecture, pub dining, short-break accommodation and event use. Its primary audience includes motorists and travelers passing through Devon, visitors seeking a rural base, diners attracted by the riverside setting, and guests attending private or business functions. No reliable information in the supplied material establishes a separate corporate owner, founding individual, current management team, financial performance or formal brand campaign history.

The Fisherman's Cot occupies a riverside site near Bickleigh in Devon, alongside the River Exe and close to Bickleigh Castle. The building's appearance suggests a much older structure, but the inn was constructed in 1933 as a private fishing lodge for the castle. This origin explains the property's strong relationship with the river and its enduring fishing-related name and character. Over time, the lodge developed into a public hospitality venue. Its location on the A3072, northwest of Bickleigh and near Tiverton, gave it a practical role as a stopping place for road travelers, while its thatched roof and waterside position made it attractive as a destination in its own right. The adjacent Bickleigh Bridge, a historic bridge over the River Exe, became a major visual feature of the property and an important part of the inn's identity. The business expanded beyond food and drink to include overnight accommodation. The inn is described as having 21 rooms, with the river-facing rooms regarded as particularly scenic. It also developed facilities for meetings, evening functions and weddings. These additions positioned the property as a combined pub, restaurant, hotel and events venue rather than a narrowly defined drinking establishment. Its food proposition has included a carvery and a selection of meat and fish dishes. Reported examples include herbed stuffed trout, mussels and Aberdeen Angus burgers. The inn has also been associated with fishing rights over a roughly three-quarter-mile section of the River Exe, providing a distinctive local narrative around fresh fish and the surrounding waterway. The Waterside Bar makes the river setting part of the customer experience. The property gained an additional layer of cultural interest through its reported connection with Paul Simon and "Bridge Over Troubled Water." Simon is said to have stayed at The Fisherman's Cot in the 1960s while performing near Exeter. According to the commonly repeated story, he stayed in Room Six while the River Exe flooded, and the view of the bridge and troubled water later influenced the song. In 2003, Art Garfunkel reportedly rejected that explanation, saying Simon had drawn inspiration from a hymn book. The inn's association with the song consequently remains folklore and disputed cultural history rather than a confirmed fact. The Fisherman's Cot is operated by Marston's Inns. The supplied reference material does not provide a detailed chronology of ownership changes, management appointments, rebrandings or investment programs. It also does not establish the name of the founder or a separate legal entity behind the property. In its documented form, the brand is best understood as an individual hospitality venue within a larger English pub and inn operating group, with its identity built on Devon location, traditional architecture, river views, accommodation, food service and event use.

• 2008

  Reported accommodation pricing

  [1]The Fisherman's Coten.wikipedia.org

  Contemporary reporting cited a room rate of £69.95 per night. The supplied material does not establish whether this was a standard, seasonal or promotional rate.

• 2003

  Inspiration story disputed

  [1]The Fisherman's Coten.wikipedia.org

  Art Garfunkel reportedly said that Paul Simon's inspiration for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" came from a hymn book, challenging the commonly repeated account connecting the song to the inn and Bickleigh Bridge.

• 1960

  Reported Paul Simon stay

  [1]The Fisherman's Coten.wikipedia.org

  Paul Simon was reported to have stayed at the inn while performing in the Exeter area. The stay later became linked to the widely circulated story about the inspiration for "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

• 1933

  Construction as a fishing lodge

  [1]The Fisherman's Coten.wikipedia.org

  The building was constructed as a private fishing lodge serving nearby Bickleigh Castle, despite its appearance as an older traditional inn.

A picturesque Devon country inn combining traditional pub hospitality, riverside dining, overnight accommodation and event facilities. The brand is differentiated by its thatched, lodge-like appearance, setting beside the River Exe, views of Bickleigh Bridge and association with local fishing and music folklore.

• Hospitality

  Guest accommodation

  The inn provides approximately 21 guest rooms in a rural riverside setting. Accommodation is positioned around the character of the traditional-looking building and views toward the River Exe, with the river-facing rooms identified as especially scenic. The rooms support both short leisure stays and visits connected with dining, travel through Devon or private functions held at the venue.

• Food and beverage

  Pub and restaurant dining

  The Fisherman's Cot offers traditional inn and pub dining, including a carvery and reported meat and fish dishes. Examples associated with the venue include herbed stuffed trout, mussels and Aberdeen Angus burgers. The food proposition draws on the property's riverside and fishing identity while serving the broader expectations of a country pub restaurant.

• Food and beverage

  Waterside Bar

  The Waterside Bar is a drinks and social space oriented toward views of the River Exe and Bickleigh Bridge. Its setting is a central part of the venue experience, allowing the inn to function as a scenic destination for drinks and informal visits as well as a conventional pub.

• Events and venue hire

  Functions and wedding receptions

  A function room is used for meetings, evening events and wedding receptions. This service broadens the inn's commercial role beyond accommodation and everyday dining, using the historic-looking building, river views and rural setting as an event backdrop.

1. 1The Fisherman's Coten.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Fisherman's Cot official siteenglish-inns.co.uk