Discover the extraordinary stories of people who transformed a deep combe into a maritime village and tourist destination.
Nestled in North Devon where wooded combes meet the Bristol Channel, Combe Martin first rose to prominence after the Norman Conquest of 1066.
Combe Martin's linear settlement boasts one of the longest main streets in Britain. And Combe Martin entered the Guinness World Records in 2002, for holding the longest street party during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Visitors can wander the trails where silver was mined, smoke once filled the air, and where strawberries flourished—tracing the footsteps of an extraordinary yet vanished community.
The 1086 Domesday Book records that the North Devon coastal settlement called “Cumbe”, was held directly from the king by William de Falaise, a Norman lord from Falaise in Normandy.
The Normans stripped most Saxon nobles of their estates, although a handful of Saxons retained small parcels under feudal terms.
This manor later came into the possession of Norman Baron Martin de Tours, who left his name on the village.
His descendant, Lord Nicholas FitzMartin, secured rights to a town market here in 1264.
The village name—combining the Old English “combe” (valley) with the Norman FitzMartin family's feudal legacy—hints at a village steeped in medieval power and privilege.
For centuries, Combe Martin supplied the region's ropemakers and sailmakers with the best hemp in the county.
Beneath the rolling hills on the western edge of scenic Exmoor, rich veins of silver and lead sustained Combe Martin for six centuries.
Every footstep retraces the courage of miners, and the hard work of local industries.
Under King Edward I, silver miners tunnelled deep into the rock, lifting ore via massive wheelhouses.
The silver they extracted helped finance the wars of Edward III and Henry V.
During the 18th and 19th centuries and the "Golden Age of Smuggling" here, the fledgling Customs and Excise battled with 'bootleggers' and locals all trading in illicit goods.
Industrious and smoggy Combe Martin was criticised in the 19th century for being a "Shammick", an old West Country term for a mess or a shambles.
Combe Martin locals have long referred to themselves as "Shammickites", using an old local demonym of uncertain origin.
Queen Victoria purchased five items of Combe Martin silver in 1851.
Combe Martin silver is still held in the London Banqueting House collection.
After Combe Martin's silver mines closed in the late 19th century, the village quickly adapted to market gardening and cottage industries.
On the River Umber’s banks, steam-powered sawmills and a bustling shipyard launched schooners such as the Mary and Elizabeth, linking Combe Martin to wider maritime trade.
As industrial furnaces cooled, fertile slopes bloomed with market gardening: superior strawberries, flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables.
In the early 20th century, soft fruits and vegetables travelled by rail and ship to markets as far afield as London.
Up to two dozen carts per day carrying tons of produce, were loaded at Combe Martin harbour cove, for export around the Bristol Channel ports.
Local jam-makers harnessed the local produce and strawberry beds, turning Combe Martin’s market gardening industry into a Devon staple.
At the heart of the village stands the 13th-century Church of St Peter ad Vincula, with its unique oak chancel screen and monuments.
Shammickites, prominent personalities, local gentry and colourful characters rest in St Peter's churchyard.
Each Spring Bank Holiday, the village erupts in the raucous “Hunting of the Earl of Rone festival.
The captured fugitive is paraded and heckled through the streets, to the delight of spectators.
The 'Obby-Oss' cavorts down Combe Martin's famously long main street, flanked by Grenadiers, the Fool and dancers, and a band and drummers.
Once banned for excessive revelry in 1837, the tradition galloped back to life in the 1970s, capturing Combe Martin’s irrepressible spirit.
Today, museum visitors trace these layered stories at the Combe Martin Museum & Information Point, on Cross Street.
Combe Martin’s history is more than dates and artefacts; it’s a living tapestry of innovation, industry, adaptation and celebration.
