Combe Martin derives its name from ‘combe’ a wooded valley, and from the Norman family Martin (Martin de Touron, or more commonly known as Martin of Tours) who was given this manor by William the Conqueror. The crest of Martin of Tours bore a swan with shield of which a similar emblem can be seen presently on the hillside overlooking the sea.
The Manor was passed down through the Martin Family until William, Baron Martin of Barnstaple, the last Martin of North Devon, died suddenly in 1325 without children. He is said to have had a hunting lodge on the site of what is now Park Crescent and on one autumn day rode off as usual to hunt red deer, never to return. It is thought he drowned in the moat of the castle upon returning from a hunting trip late into the night after the drawbridge had been raised. His heartbroken father sold the estate and so the manor was dismembered, and the castle soon
became a heap of ruins. Behind the old Parish Church there is evidence of a large mound, allegedly the remains of the castle.
Early photo of Combe Martin Harbour
Combe Martin was then a ‘borough’, one of about seventy created in Devon in the 13th & 14th centuries. A borough granted the right to hold a fair and market and the inhabitants were freed from control of the Manor Court to engage in trade and industry. Because Combe Martin had a mostly absent landlord the villagers were able to govern themselves. Two distinct communities were created; a sea-faring fishing community around the harbour and a more conventional agricultural one sited around the church.
Combe Martin grew up as a prosperous harbour exporting locally grown strawberries and hemp, which grew well in the mild climate and fertile land. This coastal area also contained precious metals including silver, so mining became a flourishing industry by the 17th century. In the reign of Elizabeth I, new mines were sunk and silver was produced in quantity. The fine quality of Combe Martin silver is said to be unequalled and from the profits large silver cups were presented to the Earl of Bath and Richard Martyn, Lord Mayor of London. It is believed that many have attempted to work on the mines for around seven centuries. Evidence of these mines can still be seen with the most apparent being a shaft in the cliff edge visible from the seaside at low tide, whilst a ruined engine house still stands on Knap Down. Lime burning also provided much work, with a number of lime kilns still dotted about the valley. When the new car park was constructed at the seaside, one of the best preserved lime kilns in the district was demolished.
Early Seaside
It was not until after the 1914-1918 war that things began to change rapidly with the motor car gaining in popularity, roads being improved and people able to travel more easily. Thus Combe Martin came within the reach of thousands of holiday makers.
