JAMAICA Inn at Bolventor, which has achieved world wide fame due to the Daphne du Maurier story of the same name, has been owned by John and Wendy Watts from Okehampton for almost 30 years.

It was built around 1750 as a coaching inn and was possibly named as such in honour of the Trelawney family, as Edward Trelawney was governor of Jamaica from 1738 until 1764. The new turnpike road was built across the moor from 1750 and was completed in the 1770s. Eight years after that the pub was reconstructed for the first time and extended to create the coach house, stable block and tack room, essentially creating the 'L' shaped building known today. The building was slate hung to disguise the extension and help weatherproof the building.

The ownership of the Inn has changed hands many times over the years and it is not possible to trace all former owners. However from the time that the Inn was first built, up until 1946, it was run by tenants only under the direct landownership, or of that lease. In 1784 a 99 year lease was drawn up between Admiral William Langdon and John Broad, the following year the property changed hands and several times again after that.

The Inn has recently seen a new manageress arrive, Glen Swann, who has been at the Inn for a month. She has managed eight pubs before, the last one being in the New Forest.

Glen said: 'I thought it was time for a change and a challenge and I happened to find Jamaica Inn. There's lots to do here and we will be making gradual alterations to increase local trade and improve on the atmosphere. It's very much a destination pub due to Daphne du Maurier's book Jamaica Inn, as she used it as her setting. We have tried to make the book come alive with paintings of various scenes of the book on the walls and a brass plaque set on the floor with the words 'Joss Merlyn was murdered on this spot.'

Inspiration

Daphne du Maurier (Lady Browning) was a resident in Cornwall on and off since 1926 when her father, the stage and screen actor Gerald du Maurier, took a summer house near Fowey.

The inspiration for her famous book 'Jamaica Inn' was created on one dark November evening nearing midnight in 1926 when she and a friend, Fay Quiller-Couch, eventually returned to the pub after starting from there on horseback in the early afternoon for a short hack to North Hill only to become completely lost due to the terrain and weather. They owed their safety to the horses which were left to follow their instincts when all direction was lost. The book was published in 1936 and was her second novel but her first success. A film version was made in 1939.

Martin Watts, son of the owners, has been catering manager at the Inn for two and a half years, and is also co-director of a hotel in Okehampton. He said: 'It gets very busy in the summer and we are trying to boost the trade for winter now.' In reference to the theme of Daphne du Maurier's book he said: 'I don't see why smuggling shouldn't have happened here, it seems the ideal place.'

Bar manager Tim Tickner, originally from South Croydon, has been working at the Inn since April this year. He said: 'I have relatives in Liskeard and I'm settling in Liskeard now and buying a house!'

The pub sells Jamaica Inn Best Bitter brewed by St Austell Ales, Traditional Cornish Mead and local farmhouse cider. The pub also hosts a guest ale which is changed every two to four weeks.

Visiting the pub were friends Michael and Yvonne Shortt from Lyme Regis and Bill and Mary Massey from Cheshire.

Michael said: 'We have been here before, it's a good place to stop.'

Bill and Mary agreed: 'This is a well known historical building, very quaint and you get good, large food portions.'

Rebecca Wakeham hails from Devon and has been assistant manager at the Inn for about eight months. She explained: 'We have pool teams who are in the Launceston Division three League made up of staff and locals.'

The pub has the main smugglers bar, the stable bar, which houses the pool tables, a restaurant room and six letting rooms, four of which have four poster beds, one twin room and two double rooms. Glen commented: 'All the letting rooms are aptly named after the main characters in the book and it is very authentic upstairs.

The gift shop is situated furthest away from the main bar and is managed by Sarah Harvey and is assisted in the shop by Helen Smith.

Restaurant

Helen, who lives in Bolventor and started working at the shop in June, said: 'Like the pub, we get very busy in summer and just about everyone who visits the pub pops in the gift shop for a trinket to take home.'

The restaurant is open all day during summer, including the evenings, although it is closed during winter except for functions and booked occasions. French doors lead out into the garden with benches and a children's play area. Updating this is on Glen's list of things to do.

The pub has disabled access and baby changing facilities.

Frank and Marjorie Spilsbury from Budleigh Salterton had stopped there for a drink on their way to spend the day in Newquay.

Frank said: 'We have called here many times, it's a nice spot.'

Marjorie agreed and said: 'The food is very good and the whole place is lovely.'

The pub shares its spot on the moors with three museums, Daphne du Maurier's Museum, which includes her study and writing desk, Potters Museum, which features various stuffed animals in different poses, such as a mouse cricket team and Smugglers Museum which is situated just across the road at Bolventor's old school house.

Next May during the Daphne du Maurier's Festival the Tywardreath Players are performing Jamaica Inn at Jamaica Inn and the pub is also hosting various other events during the week.

Glen is currently offering a package for Christmas and the New Year. Come and stay at the Inn on Christmas Eve, spend Christmas Day at the Inn with a full Christmas dinner and depart for home on Boxing Day. Virtually the same package applies for New Year's Eve.

Glen is hoping to gear up for business meetings at the pub and possibly even weddings. She said: 'We will be doing wedding receptions here and it would be lovely for people to get married here as well! We are putting the finishing touches to the wedding reception package.'

Glen said: 'We never turn anyone away and we always try to please everyone if we can.'