Chulmleigh combines a historic, protected townscape with opportunities to spend time outdoors. It is also home to an annual Old Fair and a public golf course. When planning your visit, you can choose different focuses: architectural history, a walking route or golf.
Church, Memorial and Fore Street
The parish church of St Mary Magdalene is a Grade I listed building. Its distinctive tower has four stages and is more than 90 feet high. It was completed in 1520 and restored in the 1950s. The fabric of the church appears to date from the late 15th century; Ashworth restored it in 1878–1879. Several building phases therefore sit side by side, without conflating the cautious dating of the older fabric with the precisely dated work on the tower.
The church also serves as a venue for Chulmleigh Society concerts, including some by Young Musicians Support, as well as theatrical performances. If you would like to plan your visit around an event, check the latest dates.
Another kind of local history can be found at the Town Pump in the middle of Fore Street. The cast-iron pump dates from the early 19th century and was made by J. D. Young and Sons of Barnstaple; its glass lantern was added in the late 19th century. The War Memorial was unveiled in 1920 and later extended with additions commemorating the Second World War. In heritage terms, it forms part of a group with the church and numerous listed buildings around The Square.
Architecture from different centuries
Other buildings also reveal different chapters in the area’s architectural history. Colleton Manor has medieval origins and was probably altered or rebuilt by Humphrey Bury in 1612. The former chapel building at No. 1 New Street dates from the early 19th century and is attached to a cottage.
London House and Colnet House on The Square date from around 1870 and retain some 19th-century joinery. In London House, the room on the right contains an Adam-style fireplace surround and ceiling centrepiece. The Chulmleigh Primary School building is a Grade II listed building dating from 1859; a tall bell turret stands above its gabled entrance.
The Cot offers another architectural comparison: this cottage near the centre of the market town is a particularly interesting, untouched example of a small one-and-a-half-room plan. It retains an original fireplace, concealed by a 20th-century grate, as well as intact 19th-century joinery. The fireplace surround and the retained fireplace are distinct features: the original fireplace is still there, but concealed by the later grate.
Little Dart Way and golf
The Little Dart Way is an approximately 12.5-mile circular walk that takes in the parish church in Chulmleigh. On the section from Chawleigh to Chulmleigh, the route follows the Ridge and Valley Walk and climbs Rock Hill to the church. This section also includes a footpath through woodland to a footbridge over the Little Dart River. The river flows past Chulmleigh and joins the River Taw.
Chulmleigh Golf Course offers a different focus: it is a short, public 18-hole course set on 13 acres. Younger players are welcome when supervised; reduced rates are available for players under 16. The Club House and Terrace serve light meals and snacks on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Both areas overlook the golf course. As service days may change, check before your visit.
Old Fair in the town centre
The Chulmleigh Old Fair is a historic, annual, one-day open-air market in the centre of Chulmleigh. If you would like to combine your trip with the Fair, check the date for your intended travel year. This lets you treat the market tradition as a reason to visit in its own right, alongside the church, walking route and golf, rather than assuming a particular date for every trip.
Discover more destinations: Exbourne, Payhembury, Hartland, Stoke Canon, Chapelton, Okehampton, Cullompton, Culmstock
For the wider travel overview: Devon.
