Introduction

Combe Martin is a picturesque village on the western edge of Exmoor, on the Bristol Channel, within Blackmore country. It sits in a sheltered valley and has evolved from a Saxon settlement into a vibrant seaside resort.

Today, this coastal village features an award-winning museum and tourist information point. Combe Martin offers seaside hospitality, year-round events, clubs, and sports. It even has its own Village Hall including a theatre, versatile spaces and equipment suitable for community events, private parties, and weddings.

Industrial Heritage

Combe Martin was once famous for its superior strawberries exported across Britain, while also holding a legacy of silver mining over six centuries and polymetallic extractive industries.

This rural agricultural parish offers seaside hospitality combined with a unique Devon heritage.

The village carried out lime quarrying and lime burning across nineteen lime kilns. Schooners were built along the River Umber, while the broader local economy included market gardening, corn milling, hemp cultivation, ropemaking, jam manufacturing, and maritime trade.

Additional History & Heritage

The Little Village with a Big History

Combe Martin’s legacy goes beyond industry. The village and Exmoor appear in literature, poetry, and famous artworks.

Exporting Excellence

Local produce—fruits, vegetables, and flowers—was shipped across the Bristol Channel by Combe Martin's Clyde Puffer, the "Snowflake", as well as commercial steamships. Entrepreneurs, cottage industries, and artisan shops thrived throughout the area.

Jam Manufacturing & Produce Processing

Founded in 1911 to process the village's abundant strawberry harvest and fruit crops, Combe Martin Preserves and Co. Ltd produced jam, marmalade, and lemon cheese using refined cane sugar. Operating on Pig's Lane, the historic Jam Factory structure remains a standing part of the village's industrial architecture today.

Fraternal & Social History

The village held a active social and fraternal life, including historical chapters of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (R.A.O.B.). Local branches like the Combe Martin Bratton Lodge No. 5081 (under the Grand Lodge of England) held meetings at the Village Hall, maintaining charitable fundraising and community fellowship throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Shipbuilding & Silver Mining

Schooners were constructed for coastal trade during the 19th century. In medieval times, Combe Martin silver mining helped finance the English monarchy.

Historic Evolution

From an Anglo-Norman manor to an industrial hub, Combe Martin’s history remains reflected in its architecture and culture.

Living Traditions

Combe Martin’s annual May bank holiday Earl of Rone Festival is a celebrated historic tradition. The Shammickite dialect and associated folklore remain active parts of village life.

The summer carnival is an annual tradition featuring floats, music, costumes, and coastal festivities.

Artistic Legacy

The artist J.M.W. Turner (1775–1851) painted famous scenes from Combe Martin, depicting its coast and landscapes.

Glossary

Saxon settlement

A settlement established during the early medieval period by the Saxons, a Germanic people who migrated to Britain.

Polymetallic extractive industries

Industries that extract multiple types of metals from the earth, such as silver, lead, and zinc.

Anglo-Norman manor

A type of feudal estate established after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.

Earl of Rone Festival

A May bank holiday festival unique to Combe Martin, involving a costumed procession and local folklore.

Shammickite dialect

A local dialect historically spoken in Combe Martin, reflecting regional vocabulary and pronunciation.

Blackmore country

A literary and geographic term referring to the Exmoor region, popularised by R.D. Blackmore’s 1869 novel “Lorna Doone,” known for its romantic landscapes and moorland scenery.

J.M.W. Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851), a renowned English Romantic painter celebrated for his expressive landscapes and seascapes, including depictions of the North Devon coast.

River Umber

A small river running through Combe Martin, historically used for shipbuilding and maritime trade.

Market gardening

The small-scale production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers for local and regional sale, often associated with cottage industries.

Combe Martin Preserves and Co. Ltd

A preserve factory established in 1911 on Pig's Lane to manufacture jam, marmalade, and lemon cheese from locally grown strawberries and orchard fruit.

Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (R.A.O.B.)

A fraternal and charitable organisation founded in 1822; the local Combe Martin Bratton Lodge No. 5081 (G.L.E.) actively raised funds and hosted community gatherings in the village during the 20th century.

All along the valley

During its peak, small farms, gardens, and fields stretched for two miles through Combe Martin Vale and 400 yards up the valley slopes.

Shipbuilding

The construction of vessels, particularly schooners, for coastal and regional trade during the 19th century.

Silver mining

The extraction of silver ore, historically significant in Combe Martin with links to royal patronage in medieval England.

Exmoor

A national park and upland area in southwest England, known for its dramatic moorland, coastal cliffs, and literary associations.