Combe Martin

Just a short distance from Berrynarbor, on the other side of the River Umber, is another popular resort, Combe Martin. There’s a good sandy beach here and a short walk will take you to one of the secluded bays. An added attraction, especially for children, is the large number of rock pools amongst the bays. In the village itself, the main street is more than two miles long, reputed to be the longest in the country and featuring a wide selection of inns, cafés and shops. As well as the Combe Martin Museum, there is also the Wildlife and Dinosaur Park where life-sized animated dinosaurs lurk in the woods. The 25-acre site also shelters 250 species of real animals, including a large and lively collection of apes and monkeys. Within the park are animal handling areas, an Earthquake Ride, a dinosaur museum and oriental gardens. There’s an otter pool and daily sea lion shows and falconry displays, and if you book ahead you can experience the unique thrill of swimming with the sea lions.

Also within the park is the Exmoor Brass Rubbing Centre. The first collection of brass rubbings was made by a man named Craven Ord between 1790 and 1830.  His collection is now housed in the British Museum but because of his method – pouring printer’s ink into the engraved lines and then pressing a sheet of damp tissue paper on the brass – the results are often very poor. It was the Victorians who developed a process using heelball (shoemaker’s black wax) and white paper that is still in use today. The Centre provides all the necessary materials and friendly instruction.

A remarkable architectural curiosity in the village itself is The Pack o’ Cards Inn, built by Squire George Ley in the early 18th century with the proceeds of a highly successful evening at the card table. This Grade II listed building represents a pack of cards with four decks, or floors, 13 rooms, and a total of 52 windows. Inside there are many features representing the cards in each suit.