Discover Stoke Canon

Stoke Canon brings together several clearly distinct themes for planning a trip: church and railway history, a listed bridge, a prehistoric monument and two walking trails. For the buildings, their dates and listed status help put them in context; for the trails, the focus is on different information about destinations and routes. This lets you explore the village according to your interest in cultural history or walking.

Church and railway history

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 tower and a considerably later main structure stand together at the same place of worship. For travellers interested in church architecture, the distinction between these building phases is a useful point of reference. The Church of St Mary Magdalene in Stoke Canon is open on Tuesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 16:00. Contact the churchwarden beforehand and check the opening hours before travelling, as access may change.

Stoke Canon Crossing Box is a signal box dating from around 1874 and the last surviving signal box of the Bristol and Exeter Railway. Whereas the church draws attention to two phases of construction, the focus here is on the place of a single building in railway history. The approximate date and the significance of this surviving signal box clearly distinguish this aspect from the history of the church.

Bridge and prehistoric monument

Stoke Canon Bridge is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The bridge and its 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.

The “Bowl barrow 470m east of Fortescue” is also designated a Scheduled Monument. Its mound is about 1.5 metres high and has a maximum diameter of 68 metres. The relationship between these measurements conveys the scale of the monument: the mound is low compared with its width. Alongside the buildings and their architecture, this prehistoric monument offers a different cultural point of interest.

Two walking trails, different ways to find your way

The Devonshire Heartland Way is an inland walking route for walkers from Okehampton to Stoke Canon. The Exe Valley Way runs near the former Exe Valley railway line and crosses the level crossing into the village of Stoke Canon. The routes can therefore be compared by different features: the Devonshire Heartland Way is defined by its stated endpoints, while the Exe Valley Way is described in terms of the former railway line and the crossing into the village. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to follow the Okehampton–Stoke Canon connection or the route description along the former railway.

A community-owned pub

The Stoke Canon Inn is a community-owned and operated pub. This adds another aspect to the themes of architectural history, heritage protection and walking: the community ownership of a pub. When weighing up different interests for your trip, you can consider this alongside the historic buildings and the different route descriptions.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: East Putford, Bratton Fleming, Buckland Monachorum, Payhembury, Lifton, Shaugh Prior, South Pool, Holsworthy

For the broader travel overview: Devon.