Stoke Canon offers concrete points of reference to help you choose where to stay: building and railway history, a prehistoric monument and descriptions of two walking routes. The historic buildings date from different periods, while the routes provide orientation through their different local connections. It is also important for planning to know when the Church of St Mary Magdalene can be visited.
Building history from different centuries
The Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene has a west tower dating from the late 15th century; the rest of the building dates from 1835–1836. This means that a late medieval component and the much later parts of the building stand side by side. This span of time makes the church a specific point of reference if you want to understand the village’s historic buildings.
Another marker in time is Stoke Canon Crossing Box, a signal box dating from around 1874. It is the last surviving signal box of the Bristol and Exeter Railway. Compared with the church, the box points to a later chapter in railway history: the dates for the church distinguish between the tower and the rest of the building, while the approximate date for the Crossing Box applies to the signal box.
Stoke Canon Bridge also combines a historical context with a special designation. The bridge is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument; it and the associated causeway are also a Grade II* listed structure. The bridge was probably rebuilt in the 15th century and is based on an earlier medieval bridge. This tentative dating remains part of its history.
The “Bowl barrow 470m east of Fortescue” is designated a Scheduled Monument. Its mound is about 1.5 metres high and has a maximum diameter of 68 metres. These measurements give a different sense of scale from the tower and bridge: here, the focus is on the height and large diameter of a mound. As a prehistoric monument, it adds another historical period to the building history.
Two different walking-route connections
The Devonshire Heartland Way is an inland walking route for walkers from Okehampton to Stoke Canon. The Exe Valley Way, by contrast, takes the old Exe Valley railway line as its point of reference: the path runs alongside it and crosses the level crossing into the village of Stoke Canon. The route descriptions therefore answer different questions about orientation. For the Devonshire Heartland Way, the inland character and endpoints are specified; for the Exe Valley Way, the old railway line and the crossing into the village are foregrounded. Comparing the two descriptions can help you decide whether the named endpoints or the railway-line connection described is more important for your plans.
Visiting hours and local orientation
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. Visitors should contact the churchwarden in advance. As access to the church may change, check the details before your trip.
The Stoke Canon Inn is a community-owned and community-run pub. Together with the church and railway connections, it adds to the specific local points of reference that can help you get your bearings in Stoke Canon during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Yealmpton, Lynmouth, Cornworthy, Clovelly, Tiverton, South Brent, Kingskerswell, Rockbeare.
For the regional travel overview: Devon.
