Culmstock is a village and civil parish in Mid Devon, England, centred 10 miles from Tiverton and 6 NE of Cullompton. It is laid out on both sides of the River Culm; the village is joined by a single old narrow stone bridge across the river. The population of the parish at the 2011 Census was 554.^[1] The northern boundary of the parish forms part of the Devon – Somerset border and clockwise from there it is surrounded by the Devon parishes of Hemyock, Uffculme, Burlescombe and Holcombe Rogus.^[2]

Historically, in minor matters of law and taxation, Culmstock contributed to Hemyock Hundred. It saw prosperity as a centre of weaving and the wool trade, but this prosperity, and the relative population to that nationally, declined considerably in the latter part of the Industrial Revolution.^[3] The population was around 1446 for the forty years before the 1841 census but fell in the next 40 years to 863. In 1961 after a non-linear descent, the population was 692, broadly similar to today's total.^{[citation needed]}

Notable people connected with village

R.D. Blackmore, the author of Lorna Doone, lived in Culmstock for six years while his father, John Blackmore, was curate-in-charge of the parish, and he based his novel Perlycross on the Culm Valley.^[4]

Octavius Temple, father of Frederick Temple and grandfather of William Temple (both Archbishops of Canterbury),^[5] purchased Axon Farm, near the settlement. Octavius went to be Governor of Sierra Leone, where he died in 1834.^[6] The family had, however, remained at Culmstock. Blundell's School at Tiverton hosted the boarding years of the latter childhood of Frederick.

Harold Sumption (1916-1998), an English advertising executive and fundraiser, was born in Culmstock.^[7]

Transport

The village was served by a station on the Culm Valley Light Railway, which connected to one of two main lines leaving the south-west peninsula, at Tiverton Junction. The Light Railway ran from 1876 to 1975, though the last passengers were carried in 1963.^{[citation needed]}