Parkham: Between Inland Hills and the Atlantic Coast

Parkham combines gently rising inland pastures and valleys with coastal cliffs and a stretch of Atlantic shoreline. The parish extends from rolling, agriculture-shaped hills to the coast. If you’re looking for a destination with varied landscapes, this contrast offers a clear impression of what makes Parkham distinctive: both inland and coastal areas lie within the parish.

Landscape between pastures and coast

Inland, the landscape is defined by pastures, valleys and gentle slopes; on the coast, cliffs and a narrow strip of shoreline come into view. The oak woods near Bucks Mills are also in the wider area around the parish: they form part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, known for its rare lichens.

A coastal path near Bucks Mills offers a view inland towards Parkham’s church tower. This connects the coastal landscape in the view with a prominent building in the parish. The South West Coast Path also runs through the area near Bucks Mills, where a stream marks the boundary between Woolfardisworthy (Woolsery) to the west and Parkham to the east.

Paths and historical traces

The “Buck's Mills & Peppercombe Castle” walking route follows a path signposted “Northway”. Check local conditions before setting out.

In the wider area around Parkham, the woodland path near Bucks Mills was once called the “Coffin Path”. The dead were carried along this route from the east side of the valley to the parish church in Parkham. The name and its recorded use give the path historical significance; it should therefore be distinguished from present-day route descriptions.

Church and architectural history

The Church of St James in the centre of Parkham is an Anglican parish church dating from the 15th century and was restored in 1875. Above the main entrance is an archway, a visible feature of the Norman period. The date of the church building and this architectural feature tell different parts of its building history.

Pierces Farmhouse also has several building phases: the building dates from the late Middle Ages and was remodelled in the early or mid-17th century. A late-medieval raised-cruck truss survives. Its heavy soot deposits suggest a medieval open hall; this remains a possibility, not a certainty.

At Halsbury Farmhouse, a displaced date stone bears the year 1659. The house also has mid-17th-century beams and a stone fireplace from the same period. The adjoining outbuilding has 17th-century beams and ceiling joists.

Kerswell Granary has strong group value alongside Kerswell Farmhouse, dating from the 17th century and located 20 metres to the west. As an archaeological site, “Earthwork E of Buck's Mills” is a Scheduled Monument and is classified as an Iron Age fortified settlement.

Discover more destinations: Meshaw, Ashreigney, Ware, Shaldon, Exbourne, Stoke Gabriel, Branscombe, Harberton

For the main travel overview: Devon.