Combe Martin Events and Festivities 

Our Unofficial Guide To What's Happening Locally

Related Pages: Home Page | Earl of Rone Official |  Community | Combe Martin Village Hall | Last modified on January 10, 2025

Combe Martin Events Highlights in 2025 [See Main Section >]

• Pick up the Shammickite Magazine available from local outlets. And check social media.

• Combe Martin Museum Events: Coffee mornings, sea safaris, crafts, and presentations on local history topics. Recent talks include the local Silver Mines, and Combe Martin High Street. 

• Visit Combe Martin Museum> for local information, maps, history and tourism.

• Village Hall Calendar: For updating information, go to What's on at Combe Martin Village Hall>

• Hunting the Earl of Rone at Combe Martin: The annual spring bank holiday festival features a parade, bands and dancers, with the evening finale at the Seaside on the main harbour beach.

• Book and Jeans Fair: At Combe Martin Village Hall during holiday periods>

• Combe Martin Village Hall, High Street: Monthly farmers’ markets, shows, Bingo, weddings, craft fairs, sports, book fairs, parties, and local club meetings throughout the year.

• The Legendary Mini Cars Grand Tour: This annual motoring event, with up to 250 Mini cars, last passed through Combe Martin on Monday August 26^th, at approximately 4:00 pm (see the itinerary).

• Combe Martin's Annual Carnival: Last held on August 10th, 2024, and usually features a parade, Carnival Queen, costumes, floats, carts and a wheelbarrow race. The Uncle Tom Cobley float is a traditional highlight since 1911, and the current float has been used since 1945.

• Combe Martin Pubs Folk Music and Entertainment: Check with the Pubs and in the Shammickite.

Combe Martin Village Hall Book Sales During Holiday Periods

Old Photos of Combe Martin Village Annual Carnival 

Highlights of the Combe Martin Carnival in 2024, with Uncle Tom Cobley and the Carnival Queen

The Annual Earl of Rone Festival in Combe Martin, May Bank Holiday

Combe Martin Museum> hosts events, coffee mornings, sea safaris, and presentations. Evening events and activities often take place in the Sail Loft. Advance tickets for these events are usually available from Combe Martin Museum; call 01271-889031 during opening hours.

Combe Martin Village Hall> on the High Street, formerly the Drill Hall, has a busy calendar with shows, Bingo, plant sales and crafts, sports and local clubs. The next Farmers' Market & Craft Fair is advertised for Saturday 15th February 2025, 9.30am to 12.30pm

The popular Village Hall Book and Jeans Sale returns in 2025. Visit the Village Hall website˃ 

Farmers' Markets: There is usually a variety of local crafts, gifts, home-made preserves, cakes, pies, plants, and fresh vegetables at Combe Martin farmers' markets. Visit the Village Hall> from 9:30 a.m. on market days, and get a brew and food while you browse. 

Combe Martin's August Carnival has been a cherished local tradition for over a century. The annual event features a vibrant parade with costumes, elaborately decorated floats and carts, and a wheelbarrow race along the village's main street.

The 2024 Carnival took place on August 10th. A popular annual event, spectators line the streets and gather on the harbour beach to enjoy the festivities. The community> is keen to preserve this long-running tradition for the future.

The Uncle Tom Cobley float usually brings up the rear of the procession, and it has been part of the Combe Martin Carnival since 1911. “Uncle Tom Cobley”> is a character from the famous English folk song “Widecombe Fair.”

The early nineteenth-century song tells the story of Tom Pearce, who lends his grey mare to a group of friends to travel to Widecombe Fair in Devon. Unfortunately, the mare dies during the journey.

The chorus of the song lists the names of the friends including Tom Cobley. The song ends with “Old Uncle Tom Cobley and all,” and it's become an idiom meaning “everyone” or "a large group of people".

The Legendary North Devon Mini Cars Grand Tour (LGT)

On its way round North Devon, the annual North Devon Grand Tour (LGT) passes through Combe Martin over the August bank holiday. It then passes through Ilfracombe on its way to Fremington.

Up to 250 Minis travel in a convoy, creating a spectacle nearly 10 miles long. The LGT is still going strong and raising charity funds after 25 years.

The LGT brings out thousands of spectators, and the highlight is the arrival and raucous welcome at Children's Hospice South West, Little Bridge House, Redlands Road, Fremington, Barnstaple EX31 2PZ.

St Peter ad Vincula Church> Combe Martin often holds 'Messy Church', crafts, games and activities. There is usually a Village Flower Festival at the parish church during August. These events and others are advertised on Facebook/St Peter ad Vincula Combe Martin.

The Hunting of the Earl of Rone> is a historic trad-folk festival that takes place annually in Combe Martin, over the four-day Spring Bank Holiday weekend. Recorded in old texts, this folk play was held over Ascensiontide until 1837, and reconstructed from 1970 onwards.

You can watch video footage of the Earl of Rone on YouTube ➡

In 2024, the Hunting of the Earl of Rone> festival took place from May 24-27. Official details and times are posted on the Earl of Rone website. Don't miss it in 2025.

Over the bank holiday weekend, the Grenadiers, ‘Obby Oss’, the Fool, and villagers, hunt for the fugitive Earl of Rone in the village, finally finding him on the Monday night.

Watched by hundreds of spectators, the captured Earl is placed backwards on a donkey, then paraded, 'shot', and heckled through the streets of Combe Martin. The parade pauses at the Pack o' Cards Inn>.

The festivities end at the harbour beach on the Monday evening, where the Earl is summarily 'executed' and 'thrown into the sea'. Visit the official Earl of Rone website for full details➡

See the costumes, a video, and photographs, at Combe Martin Museum on Cross Street. 

Combe Martin Shammick Farmers’ Market and Craft Fair is held in the Village Hall> on High Street, monthly on Saturday mornings. Book a market table for £6. 

Combe Martin’s Strawberry Fair traditionally marks the start of the strawberry season. The annual Strawberry Fair including crafts and activities usually take place at Combe Martin Village Hall, High Street, during June.

Combe Martin Gardening Club and Women’s Institute meet regularly at the Parish Church Hall, Rectory Road, Combe Martin. Details can be found on Facebook and websites.

Where to Find Info

Visit the Combe Martin Village Hall website> for news of upcoming events and parties, and check out Visit Combe Martin online. Also visit Facebook/What's on Combe Martin. 

Combe Martin Museum> on Cross Street is open on weekdays, and pick up the local Shammickite magazine available from several outlets. Also check with Combe Martin's Pubs> for their upcoming events and music. 

The organisations listed here should have up-to-date information, dates and timings for their respective events which may be changed or cancelled. Check the Shammickite Magazine and Facebook.

We thank local archaeologist Trevor Dunkerley for the Carnival photo from 1956. We do not organise any events, and this independent website has no connection or affiliation with any other organisation.

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Our Combe Martin Earl of Rone Video on YouTube