The church of St Mary, the mother church of Kingsbridge, known to have existed in 1239 and anciently belonging to Buckfast Abbey, is an ancient building of stone in the Perpendicular style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and an embattled western tower containing 6 bells; the church was restored and reseated in 1848, and has 400 sittings. The register of baptisms dates from 1543; marriages 1539; deaths 1858. The living is a vicarage, with that of Kingsbridge annexed, joint net yearly value £200, in the gift of the Bishop of Exeter and held since 1895 by the Rev. Herbert Alfred Birks MA of Trinity College, Cambridge, who resides at the vicarage, Kingsbridge.  There is a wooden parish room not far from the church, erected by the Rev. A H Simms, s former vicar: it will seat 150 and is used for Sunday school, parish meetings and a village club in winter. The great tithes, formerly the property of the Abbey of Buckfastleigh, now belonging to the governors of St  John's Hospital, Exeter. There are several small charities, in  the custody of feoffees, which are appropriated to the repairs of the church: the Andrews charity consists of £200 in Consols, the interest of which is utilised in providing the poor with coals during the winter: the Cornworthy charity of £1 is given to the poor in shillings at Christmas time, and there is also a small bread charity.

Combe Royal , the residence of Mrs Eady-Borlase and Miss Emily Turner is an ancient mansion with surrounding grounds. White Hall is the residence of Herbert Mayo Marriott Esq. The principal landowners are William Roope Ilbert Esq of Bowringsleigh, West Alvington. Charles Edward Rowland Walker Esq of Ashwater, Torquay, Frederick Carnegie Lowe Esq and Thomas Symons Esq. The soil is loamy; subsoil, various. The chief crops are wheat, barley, oats and turnips.  The area is 2797 acres of land, 6 of water and 4 of tidal water; rateable value £3622 and the population in 1901 was 282.

By local Government Board order 16.3.12, Combe Royal was transferred from West Alvington to Churchstow on March 24 1884.

VENN is a small hamlet in a beautiful vale, 1 mile north-west, with an old burial ground belonging to the Nonconformists, and Sorley is about 1½ miles north-east from the church.

LEIGH in this parish, now occupied as a farmhouse, is supposed to have been a cell of the Abbey of Buckfast; its gateway, with guard room is a perfect example of 15th century work and the whole place is remarkably interesting.

POST OFFICE: Miss Kate Tucker, sub-postmistress. Letters from Kingsbridge arrive at 6.50am and 3.20 pm; desptached at 1 and 5.40 pm; Sundays at 12.25 pm. Postal Orders are issued here but not paid. The nearest money order & telegraph office is at Kingsbridge, 2  miles distant.

RESIDENTS 

CHURCHSTOW

Adams, Henry, Underhill House

Borlase, Mrs. George, Combe Royal

Brown, Williams, Glebe House

Eady. Miss, Combe Royal

Eady-Borlase, Mrs, Combe Royal

Marriott, Herbert Mayo, White Hall

Turner, Miss Emily, Combe Royal

COMMERCIAL

Ball, Prideaux L, farmer, Combe

Baker, Walt, farmer, Higher Warcombe

Bowden, William, blacksmith

Clifford, Charles Rowlatt, farm bailiff, Lower Holditches

Gillard, Mary Sarah (Miss), Church House Inn

Hancock, William Samuel, farmer, Home Farm

Hingston, Alfred, farmer, Bridge Combe farm

Hosking, William, farmer, Merryfield

Janes, Samuel, farmer & mason, Rediford

Lethbridge, Henry, farmer, Leigh

Lethbridge, William, farmer, Pullybank Farm

Lowe, Amy (Miss), cowkeeper, Court House

Luscombe, Garland, farmer, Holditches

Luscombe, Major William Richard, farmer Tithe Hill

Luscombe, Richard Henry, farmer, Offields

Parraton, Edward, farmer, Rediford

Perraton, James Pedrick, farmer, Osborn Newton

Perraton, Richard Henry, farmer, Norton

Pengelly, Thomas, farmer, Bridge End

Prowse, James Henry, farmer, Culverwell

Reeves, William, farmer, White's Farm

Steere, Elizabeth (Mrs), farmer, Nuckwell

Wills, Thomas, carrier & farmer, Lordswood

Walters, John Symons, farmer, Elston

SORLEY

Luscombe, Andrew, farmer, Rake

Nosworthy, George, farmer, Sorley Farm

VENN

Mildon, Edward, Venn House

Harris, Tryphena (Mrs) farmer

Harvey, Richard, farmer

Maddick, James Henry, farmer

Stabb, John, farmer