Combe Martin

Combe Martin is a village in a valley, spread along one long main street, said to be the longest High Street in the country. At one end is a small harbour and beach, with plentiful rock pools which keep children happy for hours.

The name of the village comes from the Norman family Martin who were lords of the manor here in its early days. If you want to find out more about the village and its history then call in at the Combe Martin Museum on the Parade. Here you will find displays and exhibits which illustrate the village’s history with artefacts, photographs, maps and pictures of the old village industries in silver mining, lime quarrying and burning, agriculture and horticulture together with details of its maritime history.

There are not very many good sheltered harbours on this inhospitable north coast and Combe Martin’s natural bay made it a centre for cross Channel trade with Wales.

Down by the harbour you will find the Combe Martin Motorcycle Collection. Here there are many British motorcycles displayed in an old world atmosphere of petrol pumps, signs and garage memorabilia.

As you walk up through the village look out for ‘The Pack of Cards’. This very individual building has, as the name suggests, four floors, thirteen doors to each floor and a total of fifty two windows. One wonders what modern day planning authorities would make of an application to build such a house.

The church of St. Peter ad Vincular is approximately a mile inland, with a small stream adjacent to the churchyard wall. The southern door of this red sandstone building has a Sanctuary Ring. The Sanctuary Ring saved criminals who were able to clutch it from arrest and imprisonment - as long as they confessed their crimes and left the country. This practice was abolished by the establishment in the 17th century.

If you dare step back to the days when Dinosaurs roamed the earth, then a visit to Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park is a must! Over the last few years the park has embarked on a tremendous programme of creating realistic Dinosaurs using the latest technology in animatronics. The star of the show is a full size animatronic T-Rex, who towers over visitors at eighteen feet high and forty feet long, along with a pair of interacting Megalosaurs and Dilophosaurus the ‘spitting dinosaur’! Watch out you may get wet!

The park aims to provide entertainment for the whole family. It is a naturally beautiful estate with 26 acres of stunning gardens, cascading waterfalls and sub tropical plants for everyone to enjoy. For those of you wild about wildlife there are hundreds of exotic birds and animals for you to meet including Snow Leopards, Meerkats, Timber Wolves, Sea Lions, Racoons and Primates.

Visit the UK’s only Wolf Education and Research Centre and learn about the research that Shaun Ellis, the parks resident wolf man, is conducting on the park and the Romincka forest in Poland.

There are shows throughout the day that are sure to keep everybody entertained. Be enthralled by the sea lion shows and falconry displays, have a close encounter with Lemurs and don’t forget to take part in the handling sessions.

The park also has a Tropical Butterfly House, a Spectacular Lightshow and the Earthquake Canyon Train Ride – the most unique train ride in the UK. Enter ‘The Tomb of the Pharaohs’ for a fascinating insight into Egypt. Decipher the ancient art of picture writing with the exact replications of Egyptian Hieroglyphics – but watch out for the Mummy!

There is definitely something for everyone at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park!