Whilst searching for places to eat, we happened upon the lovely village of Culmstock, close to the Somerset border of Devon. The village lies on both sides of the River Culm and is joined by a single old narrow stone bridge. There are some beautiful walks along the river notably the walk to Uffculme. Tiverton and Wellington are only a short drive away on the A38. It is only twenty odd miles to the visually breathtaking coastline of South Devon and to popular tourist areas such as Budleigh Salterton, Lyme Regis and Sidmouth.
Apparently, according to Wikipedia, “…..it was at one time prosperous as a centre of weaving and the wool trade, but this prosperity, and the population of the village, declined considerably with the onset of the Industrial Revolution.”
Now it is a typical quaint little more-Somerset-looking-than-Devon village. It has a few small businesses, a primary school, two pubs and two churches.
http://www.bbc.co.uk published a short article on the village. It states that parts of All Saints church date back to the 12th Century and a major point of interest is “….. a Yew tree growing out of the upper part of one of the tower walls. The tree is known to have been in existence 200 years ago and is still looking healthy.”
Apparently, another claim to fame of the village is that R D Blackmore, creator of Lorna Doone, lived in the village as a boy. His father was the curate of the church for a while.
Places to eat in Culmstock, Devon
As with most small villages, the epicentre generally is the pub and The Culm Valley Inn is no exception!