Combe Martin, United Kingdom
Combe Martin is a town of 2,687 people in England, United Kingdom.
Why visit Combe Martin
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 13 places to eat, 10 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Broadsands Beach, Combe Martin Museum, Chambercombe Manor and Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park.
Weather in Combe Martin
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Combe Martin
Combe Martin () is a village, civil parish and former manor on the North Devon coast about 4 miles (6.4 km) east of Ilfracombe. It is a small seaside resort with a sheltered cove on the northwest edge of the Exmoor National Park.
From the Wikipedia article Combe Martin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks5
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes13
1 more on the map.
History
Evidence of Iron Age occupation includes the nearby Newberry Castle fort.
The toponym "Combe" is derived from Old English cumb meaning "wooded valley". It derives ultimately from the same Brythonic source as the Welsh cwm, Cornish kom also of the same meaning. The name was recorded as Comer in 1128.
The 'Martin' suffix on the place name is from the name of the FitzMartin family, feudal barons of Barnstaple, from which large barony the manor of Combe was held. The FitzMartins held the barony following the marriage of Nicholas FitzMartin (d.1260) to Maud de Tracy, heiress of the barony of Barnstaple, until the death of his grandson William II FitzMartin in 1326 who left his two sisters co-heiresses.
There are several disused silver mines on the eastern ridge and evidence of tunnels can still be seen, as well as the remains of a wheelhouse used to lift ore from the mine. There are items in the Crown Jewels made from Combe Martin silver and a large part of the war expenses of Edward III and Henry V were paid for by the sale of silver mined here.
The unusual dedication of the parish church St Peter ad Vincula to St Peter ad Vincula ("St. Peter in Chains") is derived from the ancient Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome.
Read more of the history
One of the village's unusual features is the Pack o' Cards public house built around 1700 by George Ley. Reputed to have been funded by his gambling successes, it originally had 52 windows, 13 rooms and four floors (matching the numbers from a pack of cards).
In the 19th century, the village name was spelt as Combmartin.
From the History section of Combe Martin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay10
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare1
Map of Combe Martin
48 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Swansea Airport (SWS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 28 miles away.
- Ilfracombe 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Barnstaple 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Lynton 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Appledore 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Bideford 15 mi southwest, about 24 min by car
- Porlock 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Chulmleigh 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Minehead 23 mi east, about 38 min by car
- Porthcawl 24 mi northeast, about 38 min by car
- Swansea 29 mi north, about 47 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Towns near Combe Martin
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Combe martin, Tony Atkin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Parish.church.combemartin.arp.750pix, Arpingstone at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- South from Great Hangman-3313, Julie Anne Workman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, southglos, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
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