Combe Martin makes an immediate impression even if you are only passing through. Britain’s longest village, over two miles from the first house on the hill to the harbour at the bottom, it follows a single road down a long combe to the sea, with the hills rising steeply on either side. The effect is unlike any other village in North Devon: simultaneously ancient and strikingly dramatic in its setting.
The Pack o’ Cards Inn is the village’s most famous landmark and the one you really should seek out. Built in the early 18th century by local landowner George Ley on the proceeds of a gambling win, the pub has four floors (representing the suits), 52 windows and 13 doors on each storey. It is the sort of story that sounds like a myth, but the building is real and the pub serves good food.
Combe Martin’s silver mining history goes back to medieval times, the mines here supplied silver to the English Crown for centuries, and the small museum on Cross Street tells this and other aspects of village history with genuine interest. The harbour at the bottom of the village is a working crab and lobster harbour, and you can often buy fresh catch directly from the boats.
Wildlife and Dinosaur Park on the edge of the village is one of North Devon’s major family attractions, combining a wildlife park with life-sized animated dinosaurs. And the village sits right on the edge of Exmoor, making it an excellent base or stopping point for coastal walks in both directions.
Combe Martin is about 9 miles from Woolacombe on the A399, a very comfortable and scenic drive.
The village is also an excellent base for walking, with the South West Coast Path accessible at the harbour end and Exmoor moorland within easy reach up the combe. A circular walk from Combe Martin via Little Hangman and Great Hangman, the highest sea cliff in England, at 318 metres, is one of the most dramatic coastal walks in the entire South West.
