Merton: Church Art and Traces of the Clay Industry

A Norman font, medieval stained glass and traces of the clay industry give Merton a distinctive cultural and historical character. A large part of the village lies within a Conservation Area, centred on The Square and All Saints Church. To the west, another layer of history comes into view: the former clay railway is now part of the Tarka Trail network of walking and cycling routes.

All Saints and the protected village centre

All Saints is a Grade II*-listed parish church with parts dating from the 15th century; Medley Fulford restored it in 1875. Its features include a Norman font with a carved, pyramidal Jacobean cover, as well as medieval stained glass. The windows depict St Edmund the Confessor, St Margaret, St Christopher and St Anthony. The font and its cover bring together different periods of style, while the windows add to the medieval imagery.

The church is open for services. Plan your visit around service times and check the current schedule before travelling. The Conservation Area covers a large part of the village and is centred on The Square and All Saints. West of the church, at Grange Farm, is a moated site protected as a Scheduled Monument. It is considered a relatively rare example of its type in Devon.

Country houses and historic traces

Great Potheridge is a Grade I-listed country house in Merton. George Monk rebuilt it around 1660–1670; it was largely demolished in 1734. In 1608, Great Potheridge was the birthplace of General George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle. Downes House is a former farmhouse dating from around 1500, extensively altered in the early to mid-17th century. Its features include a 17th-century plaster overmantel relief with a coat of arms and Jacobean strapwork. At Ford Farmhouse, the form of the roof structure suggests that the house had an open hall with a central hearth. Speccot was the seat of the prominent de Speccot family in the Middle Ages.

Clay railway and industrial history

The former clay railway through western Merton is now part of the Tarka Trail network of walking and cycling routes. This present-day perspective on the routes complements the history of the historic buildings. Another chapter in the area’s industrial history is the North Devon and Cornwall Junction Light Railway: it ran through western Merton from 1925 to 1982 and served the ball clay industry. Merton Moor, on the boundary between the parishes of Merton and Petrockstowe, has also been used for ball clay extraction for many years. Together, these places and routes illustrate different aspects of the clay industry: extraction, transport and today’s routes.

Planning your stay

The Merton and Huish Wildlife Group offers talks, walks and activities about wildlife and environmental issues. If you would like to attend one of its events, check for current dates. Merton is on the A386 between Bideford and Okehampton. As traffic conditions can change, check them before setting off.

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Merton, you can plan your trip around two specific interests: the village’s church and architectural history, or the connection between walking and cycling routes and the clay industry.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Wimbledon, Mitcham, Merton, Bromley, Westminster, Greenwich, Hammersmith And Fulham, Richmond Upon Thames.

For the broader travel overview: Greater London.