Shobrooke has also been known as “Shobrook”, the 1809 Ordnance Survey map refers the Parish and the village as Shobrook. Furthermore, in 1583 marriage records the village is once again referred to as Shobrook, it is not known if this was an error or the name of the village has evolved over time. The name itself has Anglo-Saxon origins, recorded in 938AD as Old English ‘Sceocabroc’ roughly translated as “Goblin brook” or “brook haunted by an evil spirit”, this changed to Sotebroca in the Domesday book.

In the 1870s, Shobrooke is described as: A parish, with a village, in Crediton district, Devon; 2 miles NE of Crediton r. station. It has a post-office under Crediton, North Devon. Acres, 3835. Real property, £6,004. Pop. in 1851, 812; in 1861, 630. Houses, 133.

St. Swithun’s Church is the oldest structure in the village, the church is of Anglo Saxon origins and was rebuilt in the 15th century, and restored further around 1840 and in 1879. The building has been Grade II listed since 1965. The Red Lion Inn is the last remaining pub in Shobrooke, the pub dates back to the 1580s making it one of the oldest structures in the village. The name of the Red Lion Inn has changed over time, in 1850 the pub was known as The Lion.

The Shobrooke 1914–1918 War Memorial holds the names of 25 men who lost their lives in World War I, the list includes the names of three brothers from the Horwell family, all three died within 15 months of one another