About The Village

Combe Raleigh takes its name from its landscape and history. “Combe” derives from the Old English cumb, meaning a small valley or hollow, a common feature of Devon’s countryside. “Raleigh” is thought to refer to the Raleigh family, prominent medieval landowners in the area. Together, the name describes a valley associated with the Raleigh family.

Combe Raleigh’s arrowhead-shaped parish extends into the heart of the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, of which it forms part. The River Otter marks the southern boundary, where water meadows lie about 90 metres above sea level. From there, the land rises steeply to a 266-metre plateau at the parish’s northern tip. Honiton lies to the south, Dunkeswell to the north, Awliscombe to the west and Luppitt to the east. Predominantly rural, the parish is shaped by agriculture and horticulture and centred on a small, close-knit community.

Two bridges cross the River Otter: Langford Bridge and Clapper Lane Bridge, which was rebuilt in 1910. The remains of the former Clapper Bridge were swept away in the great flood of 10 July 1968. On the River Luv, which forms the parish’s eastern boundary, the remains of an old mill stand on the site now occupied by Jackson’s Nursery.

Despite having no school, shop, pub or post office, Combe Raleigh remains a vibrant village. Its church and Village Hall are well supported and play an active role in parish life. A 1959 Express and Echo article aptly called it “a Fairyland Parish”, a description perhaps surpassed only by the residents who named their home “Paradise Cottage”.