St Mabyn is a pretty hilltop village of old cottages gathered around a popular inn, which dates back to the seventeenth century. Located three miles east of Wadebridge on the edge of Bodmin Moor, both the village and parish of St Mabyn are named after St Mabena, supposedly another one of Welsh King Brychan's twenty four children.
The earliest recorded priest in charge of the church of St Mabyn was Roger de Warlegan in 1267. There are signs of much earlier habitation nearby at Kelly Rounds, an Iron Age hill fort dating back to around 400 BC.
There are no other villages in the parish of St Mabyn, which is composed mainly of lush undulating farmland. A number of small manor houses include Heligan and Colquite, whose incumbent, Sir Richard Serjeaux of Colquite Manor became the High Sherriff of Cornwall in 1389.
An arched bridge over the River Laine separates St Mabyn from the neighbouring parish of St Kew.