Cockington Village near Torquay can only be described as quintessential! Set in attractive parkland many of the picturesque cottages with their thatched rooves and colour washed walls date back to the 16th century.
One of the most interesting buildings is the Drum Inn, which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. The pub sign is a facsimile of a painting by Dame Laura Knight – the original is inside painted on a sheet of copper. Also, inside the pub is a poem by the poet Whistler engraved on glass.
We visited the village on the way to Greenway the home of Agatha Christie. It turns out that she regularly visited Cockington Court. This was the Manor House home to the Mallock family whose generations lived there from 1654 until 1932. The Mallocks were friends of Agatha’s family and as a child she took part in amateur theatricals at their home.
The church of St Mary & St George was originally built in 1069. Although it looks quite plain from the exterior, it is well worth an inside visit for the wealth of wood carvings and stonework.
Cockington Forge is 500 years old and mentioned in the Doomsday Book. The present building was constructed in the 14th century after a fire destroyed the original one in 1345. It no longer has a furnace but miniature horse brasses are still made there.
At the side of Mill House is a water wheel, which still turns, and a mill pond. Although the cast iron wheel was made in 1878 the older “Water Mill to Granary” was made of wood, the first of which was built in 1293.
Cockington really is the most perfect village with its gift shops and tearooms surrounded by parklands with beautiful native trees. Well worth a visit.
