Discover Stoke Canon: Churches, Bridges and Walking Trails

Stoke Canon combines impressive historic buildings with two different walking experiences. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house will find a place where cultural history and outdoor activity can be incorporated into travel plans in many different ways. Particularly notable are the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, the historic Stoke Canon Bridge and the Stoke Canon Crossing Box.

Church, Signal Box and Bridge

The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene reflects several building phases: the west tower dates from the late 15th century, while the rest was built in 1835–1836. Specific visiting times apply: on Tuesdays, the Church of St Mary Magdalene is open from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. Visitors are asked to contact the Churchwarden in advance. Anyone interested in ecclesiastical architectural history can plan this visit specifically into their day.

Another distinctive glimpse into the past can be found at the Stoke Canon Crossing Box. The signal box dates from around 1874 and is the last surviving signal box of the Bristol and Exeter Railway. This makes a single building in Stoke Canon a representative of railway history. Its name and approximate date of construction also make the site interesting for travellers who would like to include technical and industrial heritage in their holiday itineraries.

The Stoke Canon Bridge provides a second historical focal point. It is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Together with its associated causeway, it is also a Grade II* listed building. The bridge was probably renewed in the 15th century and is based on an earlier medieval bridge. This depth of history makes the bridge an illustrative example of how different periods can overlap in a single structure.

Walking Trails with Different Themes

For active days during your holiday, two trails with clearly distinct characters are available. The Devonshire Heartland Way is an inland walking route for walkers from Okehampton to Stoke Canon. Those who would like to discover Stoke Canon as the destination of a longer walking plan will find a route with a clearly defined starting point and endpoint.

The Exe Valley Way runs along the former railway line of the Exe Valley and crosses the level crossing to the village of Stoke Canon. Here, the former railway route and the landscape of the Exe Valley are the main focus. This allows families and other travel groups to develop different ideas for their days: on one day, historical buildings and local history can take centre stage, while on another, the walking trails and their respective themes can be the focus. Accommodation in Stoke Canon can suit such travel plans if you would like to combine culture and outdoor activity.

The Right Accommodation for Your Travel Plans

When looking for holiday accommodation in Stoke Canon, it is worth deciding on your personal focus. If you are particularly interested in churches, bridges and historic sites, the Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Stoke Canon Bridge and the Stoke Canon Crossing Box form a thematically suitable selection. If you would rather plan a walk as the central experience of your holiday, the Devonshire Heartland Way and the Exe Valley Way offer different starting points.

You should take the information about the church into account when planning your specific day, particularly the Tuesday visiting hours and the need to make contact with the Churchwarden in advance. For the historic buildings, their individual identities and classifications are the main focus; they do not amount to a single, uniform visiting programme. This leaves room for a trip that can alternate between cultural history and walking, depending on the children’s ages, the group’s interests and the desired pace.

You can find more places for your travel plans in Modbury, Burlescombe, Saint Giles in the Wood, Parkham, Shaldon, Clovelly, Bovey Tracey and Bere Alston.

For the higher-level travel overview: Devon.