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The name Milton Combe is derived from it's ancient name, first mentioned in 1249, of 'Mile Cumbe' meaning Middle Valley. The present name was given in 1890 at the wish of the Post Office, to distinguish it from the many other 'Miltons' in the area. At different times the valley was also known as Milton Granville or Milton Drake, to correspond with the family at Buckland Abbey.

The village lies in a hollow surrounded on three sides by steep hills. To the South, the Milton brook and the road go down the valley to Lillipit and then on to Maristow and Lopwell by the River Tavy.

At the beginning of the twentieth century the Village boasted a Church, a Wesleyan Chapel, an Infant School, a Men's Reading Room, a Post Office, several shops and two pubs. Today, all that remains are the Church, a Village Hall (in the old school building) and a well-known Pub with an unusual name. It is still a small Village, although since 1968, 20 new homes have been bult.

The Village was quite industrialised, with a soup factory, sugar refinery, mill and cider press. The mill closed in1886. The Village once had a Plymouth Brethren Chapel, situated on the site of the old Men's Reading Room. This had been formed in 1903, in premises given by Hannah Radford Phillips.

A Wesleyan Chapel was built at the lower end of the village previous to 1842; this was closed in the 1970's and is now a cottage and the present Church of the Holy Spirit was built in 1878.

There used to be two Inns in the Village but now there is only one. The 'Welcome Inn', (now the 'Who'd Have Thought It') and the 'First and Last', which later became the village Post Office until that closed too in 1986.

In 1719 Sir Francis Drake left three pounds ten shillings to a school at Milton for infants. The choice of children to be instructed was to remain with the owner of the Drake Estate. The village school opened in 1893, and closed in 1923. This building is now the village hall.

The village of Milton Combe has been associated with smuggling connected with a secret place in one of the old houses, possibly 'Sanguines' has been mentioned.

The presence of 'pixys' is well known and a man declared he had been pixy led while crossing Oxted Park, and only recovered his wits by turning his jacket inside out.

During the 1939-45 war, the village was the centre for the inhabitants of the Naval Hospital at Maristow, the American Camp at Bickham, Harrowbeer Air Station and later Germans from a prisoner of War camp. The village has its own small Memorial, to the men of Milton Combe who never returned from two World Wars.

Prior to 1936 no new houses were constructed in the Village but in the period from 1936 to 1986 there have been sixteen new houses built. However, during this time four old cottages have been demolished. The Conservation Order put on the village in the 1970's will restrict any growth in the future. Sadly, because of this Order, properties have increased in value and so are beyond the reach of the young people who would like to remain in the village.