Discover Swimbridge: Hooda Hill, Procession and Streamside Garden

Swimbridge combines a vibrant local tradition with distinctive landscapes and gardens. Around St James Church, Streamside Garden and the striking Hooda Hill, you can experience a place whose character is reflected both in community customs and in small, carefully designed details. If you are looking for holiday accommodation in Swimbridge, you can plan your stay around whether you primarily want to discover culture, nature or a combination of both.

Hooda Hill and the Good Friday procession

North-west of the church, Hooda Hill is a striking natural landmark on the edge of the village. From the summit, you can look out over Swimbridge in the valley below. This gives the hill a clear connection to the landscape, fitting well into travel plans for visitors who want to experience not only the village itself but also its surroundings.

Hooda Hill is particularly closely associated with the Good Friday procession of St James Church. During this early-morning procession, a large wooden cross is carried through the village to the summit of the hill. The tradition of making this journey began in the 1960s; every year, people of all ages set off for the summit. The annual procession continued in 2024. Anyone interested in local customs and religiously influenced culture will find a clear example here of how a community tradition is connected with a striking landscape feature.

Streamside Garden: Plants, poetry and local history

Another side of Swimbridge is revealed by Streamside Garden in the churchyard of the parish church. The area was developed by St James Church and the diocese and designed for everyone to enjoy. The Devon Wildlife Trust provided advice during its creation. Predominantly native plants and a wildflower-rich meadow area are intended to create habitats and improve and promote the diversity of wildlife.

Cultural details are also part of this garden. A poem is engraved on the stepping stones, created by children from Swimbridge Primary School together with Gabriel Hummerstone. This connects the garden's natural design with a work that emerged from the local community. In the lower area, there are also two Mazzard cherry trees, also known as North Devon Cherry. Mazzards were grown only in the surrounding parishes and were an important crop there for centuries.

A place for different discoveries

The historic and practical character of Swimbridge also includes Mill House. The building still has one of its water wheels. However, the paddles are missing, so the water wheel cannot function in its current condition. This detail shows that the history of the place lives on not only in festive traditions but also in preserved architectural and mechanical elements.

Families can choose their own focus, such as discovering the poem on the stepping stones, taking in the view from Hooda Hill or seeing the distinctive cherry trees in Streamside Garden.

More places to explore

If you would like to continue planning your trip beyond Swimbridge, you can also find Winkleigh, Upottery, Instow, Ilfracombe, Lynmouth, Stoke Rivers, Plympton and Tiverton at the same level.

For the higher-level travel overview: Devon.