Introduction:

Because of its great importance, both locally and nationally, the Domesday record would seem to be the obvious starting point for such a write-up, as it is hoped that this might be, but before getting involved in its detail concerning Luppitt, a few comments indicating earlier habitation. At the other end of the telephone line the caller asked what I could tell him about a worked piece of flint found in Luppitt churchyard. "Well" I said, "You tell me, because I know nothing". The voice was that of a newspaper journalist who had heard that Mr Real, a monumental mason, clearing up after placing a kerb around a grave, had spotted this and kept it. Mr Real later gave this to us, and it has been identified as a piece of chert, probably of a date around 2,000 BC plus. How did it get there? Was it brought here from somewhere else? It indicates human habitation beyond our comprehension.

A local water diviner once took me to a spot near the spring source of our river Love at the far north-east corner of this parish, and I watched the mysterious reactions as he criss-crossed a spot of ground. They appeared to indicate equal sized circle plots, each about six feet apart, with about twelve foot internally and a surround of two feet. Twelve circles in a three by four pattern. Did this indicate that in very early times there might have been habitation in round huts similar to elsewhere in Devon? The ground had been ploughed and reseeded as common land during the war, so that there was no surface difference visible. 

On another occasions with the same water diviner, we were able together to map out his reactions over part of the tree triangle on Dumpdon Hill, declared to be a stone age hill fort. I can only say that it was very intriguing to watch this being done, but have no idea what significance it might have. There appeared to be six-feet wide strips running east to west, with clearly defined reactions along the length of these strips, and a clear gap between each strip.

However, more on Dumpdon and its importance in the Luppitt landscape later on.

© 2000 - J. Sage