Discover Upottery

The parish of Upottery lies within the Blackdown Hills, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Water meadows and fields are part of its landscape, along with old hedgerows and narrow paths. Historic buildings and a named riding route add to this picture. For trip planning, Upottery can be considered from several angles: as a landscape, a place with a long history and a destination with a specific activity to explore.

Landscape in the Blackdown Hills

The parish’s location within the Blackdown Hills places Upottery in a designated landscape. The references to water meadows, fields, old hedgerows and narrow paths also describe more specific features of the parish. A wider landscape setting and individual elements of the surrounding area come together, so Upottery can be explored through more than just one attraction or activity.

If landscape and rural character are your main priorities when choosing a destination, these features offer a tangible starting point. Water meadows and fields sit alongside old hedgerows and narrow paths; the description thus includes both open spaces and narrow, defining features. The Blackdown Hills provide the wider setting, while the named landscape features make the connection to Upottery more specific.

Buildings and local history

Upottery’s history dates back to the Domesday Book. The place name also points to the landscape: Upottery takes its name from the River Otter. Together, these two aspects offer a way into the history of the place: one through its early historical context, the other through the origin of its name.

St Mary the Virgin in Upottery is a Grade II*-listed parish church. Another example of historic architectural heritage is the farmhouse Twistgates, also called Twisgates. It was built in the 15th century as a passage-plan house, with an open fire in the centre of the room. The church and farmhouse represent different types of buildings; in the case of Twistgates, the description also gives a specific century, a building type and a distinctive detail about the room.

Another point in time is RAF Upottery, which opened on 17 February 1944. Alongside the parish’s history reaching back to the Domesday Book and the 15th-century farmhouse, this date marks a period in the history of the Second World War. These different time references can be considered separately when exploring the local history: the parish’s early development, its architectural history and a precisely dated event.

A riding route in the area

The “Luppitt and Upottery” route is one of five riding routes in the Blackdown Hills National Landscape. It is 12 miles long and offers views across the tributaries of the Otter. The route description thus gives both a specific distance and a connection to the landscape. If riding is one of your travel interests, this route is a distinct activity to explore, separate from the general description of the parish landscape.

The route details answer two different questions: its length gives the distance, while the views describe the landscape it passes through. Together, they make the route a distinct activity without equating it with the parish’s water meadows, fields and narrow paths. This lets you distinguish between Upottery’s general landscape character and this specifically named riding route when planning your trip.

Plan your visit and find hotels

The Upottery Heritage Centre is accessible on one level, except for one room. If you are planning a visit, this limitation is useful to know: level access is not available throughout the centre.

Then search for hotels in Upottery and check the details of individual listings as you plan your trip.

Discover more destinations: Crediton, Black Torrington, Ashburton, Noss Mayo, Newton Abbot, Bere Alston, Budleigh Salterton, Princetown.

For the broader travel overview: Devon.