Combe Martin Local History
Last modified on July 19, 2025 | View a Timeline of Combe Martin History
💡 Did You Know?
Sir Richard Pollard (1505–1542), granted Combe Martin Manor by Henry VIII, played a key role in the Stripping of the Altars — a sweeping dismantling of sacred symbols during England’s religious reforms.
Sir Richard Pollard (1505–1542), granted Combe Martin Manor by Henry VIII, played a key role in the Stripping of the Altars — a sweeping dismantling of sacred symbols during England’s religious reforms.
A Small Parish with a Big History
Unless stated otherwise, all pictures on this website are © Combe Martin Museum | All rights reserved.
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.
Welcome to Combe Martin
Combe Martin's linear settlement boasts one of the longest main streets in Britain.
And this village 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.
Experience History and Heritage at Combe Martin Museum
Visit us and trace Combe Martin's unique heritage and social history.
View the people, tools, structures and machinery that created an extraordinary legacy.
The Norman Conquest
After 1066, the Norman conquerors stripped most Saxon nobles of their estates.
A handful of Saxons retained small parcels under feudal terms.
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.
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.
Medieval Mining and Milling (12th–14th centuries)
From the 12th century onward, Combe Martin's Higher Mill and Lower Mill harnessed water through leats and weirs.
Oak waterwheels ground corn, and supported self-sufficient farming.
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.
Agricultural and Industrial Growth (15th century–Victorian era)
From the 15th century to Victorian times, Combe Martin supplied the region's ropemakers and sailmakers with the best hemp in the county.
Nestled along the River Umber, Combe Martin’s historic watermills were once vital to village life — powering grain milling, silver smelting, and even local cloth production.
As many as 19 lime-burning kilns, the highest number in North Devon, burned round-the-clock at Combe Martin, during the 19th century.
Local lime-workers supplied lime to Combe Martin farmers and builders.
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.
Decline and Legacy (Mid-1800s)
The mills had ceased to operate by the mid-1800s, yet their legacy lives on in place names, preserved millstones, and the village’s enduring connection to its industrious past.
Smuggling and Shipbuilding (18th–19th centuries)
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.
On the River Umber’s banks, steam-powered sawmills, and a cutting-edge shipyard, launched schooners such as the Mary and Elizabeth, linking Combe Martin to wider maritime trade.
Reputation and Identity (19th century)
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.
Silver Mining Heritage
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.
As industrial furnaces cooled, fertile slopes bloomed with market gardening: superior strawberries, flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Market Gardening
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.
Combe Martin in Art and Literature
Combe Martin and Exmoor feature in popular literature and poetry, and in famous artworks.
Celebrated artist J.M.W. Turner produced seascapes, and topographical sketches, of Combe Martin’s rugged coastline and Exmoor’s storm-lashed cliffs.
The Tate’s catalogue entry for Turner's sketch “Combe Martin Harbour” is explicitly dated 1811.
Novelist R.D. Blackmore and his family have connections with Combe Martin, and officiated at our St Peter ad Vincula Church. R.D. Blackmore set his classic novel Lorna Doone in the wild romance of Doone Valley.
The popular Victorian author Marie Corelli featured Combe Martin’s real-life sexton James Norman, in her fin de siècle novel The Mighty Atom (1896).
Guidebooks such as F.J. Snell’s The Blackmore Country (1911), and William White’s History, Gazetteer and Directory of the County of Devon (1878–79), chronicle local folklore and topography.
St Peter ad Vincula Church
At the heart of Combe Martin stands the 13th-century Anglican Church of St Peter ad Vincula, a historic monument known for its unique monuments and remarkable craftsmanship.
Among its treasures is a 15th-century rood screen, carved from Perpendicular Gothic oak — a striking example of medieval artistry.
Shammickites, prominent personalities including actor Terry Thomas, also local gentry and colourful village characters, rest in St Peter's churchyard.
The Annual Earl of Rone Festival
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.
Visit Combe Martin Museum
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.
Copyright author for Combe Martin Museum and Information Point, 2025 | All rights reserved.
