Cockington Court History
In 1066 William the Conqueror gave land to his faithful barons. Cockington was given to William of Falaise, who then became William De Cockington. Subsequent generations of three families were then destined to control Cockington as Lords of the Manor until 1933.
From 1130-1350 the lands were owned by the Fitzmartin family who took the surname De Cockington. It was the De Cockingtons, who, in 1196, allowed stone to be quarried from Corbyn Head to build Torre Abbey.
In 1375 the property was sold to the Cary family who remained there, on and off, until 1654 when Henry Cary sold Cockington and Chelston to Exeter goldsmith Roger Mallock. His grandson Rawlyn Mallock was a Member of Parliament and one of the small band of peers welcomed William of Orange when he landed at Brixham in 1688.
In the 1900's, Agatha Christie was a close friend of the Mallocks and in her youth she often took part in amateur dramatics with the family at Cockington Court. She dedicated her novel Why didn't they ask Evans? to Christopher Mallock. The Mallock family retained ownership of Cockington Village until 1933, when the property was acquired by a Trust with the Cockington Court Estate coming under the control of Torquay Borough Council.
After the Second World War (1939-45), an ice-cream factory and cafe opened in the manor house as Cockington's growing popularity with visitors confirmed its reputation as 'the prettiest village in England'
The History of Cockington Booklet (pdf)
