Founded 2020

Shebbear History Project

The Shebbear History Project is a voluntary group working to collect information, images, documents etc to better understand our shared history and help others in family research. Information is likely to be added at any time, so please remember to pay regular visits to see the latest information.

You can private message the Shebbear History Project team via this website, or you can engage in public discourse on our Facebook page if you want to add comments, offer information or material, or ask questions.

As of 2025, there are around 20,000 digital files currently held by the Project, mostly awaiting referencing, transcription and correctly identifying. Many of these files cannot be published by us due to copyright, but they do contribute to giving us a picture of Shebbear’s past.

Pubs of Shebbear

The Shebbear History Project is delighted to announce it has released it’s first publication.

The Devil’s Stone Inn is a well-known, popular pub in North Devon, South West of England. Today it has no competition, but many local residents are unaware that it hasn’t always been the only hostelry in the village.

The Shebbear History Project has unearthed some fascinating tales of brawls, court cases and ghosts.

This publication reveals which buildings housed the Shebbear pubs and who ran them.

An essential addition to the bookshelf of anybody who has even a passing interest in Shebbear’s history.

All proceeds go to the Shebbear History Project to benefit the people of Shebbear and everybody interested in it’s history.

There will be printed copies available from early July from various outlets within Shebbear, including the South View Stores. If you can’t get to Shebbear, you can order your own E-Book version by clicking on this link, or print your own personal paperback copy by clicking on this link.

Buildings

Have you ever wondered what your home used to look like, why it was built and by who?

Did you know that Shebbear has not only gained many new buildings, many old ones have disappeared without trace? This is what the History Project wondered too.

People

We haven’t uncovered confirmed connections with any famous historical figures that easily spring to mind, but there are certainly some influential people and human interest stories, many of which will be shared in due course. This will include oral history interviews.

Religion

As with any community, religion has had an enormous influence in many ways. In the first half of the 19th century The Bible Christians started in Shebbear and ended up not only leaving a huge legacy in Shebbear, Devon and Cornwall, but other parts of the old British Empire.

Medical services

The Project has a good amount of information about medical provision to the community over the years.

Doctors Hall and Miller have been very helpful in this research, but as ever there is much still to understand and record.

We were lucky enough to recover some old medical equipment when Beech House was sold for residential use, which now forms part of an aspiring archive collection.

Everyday Life

Far too often, the life stories of everyday folk, like those on the Shebbear History Project, are not told. This is understandable, most of us do not have country estates named after us, headed huge armies to invade and subjugate others, murder people, well you get the idea.

The Project intends to redress some balance where possible. Of course we won’t ignore the the more colourful characters.

Last updated on 12 June 2025 by Paul Watts