The valley of the River Culm was an attractive, but remote and declining area in the early nineteenth century, containing the villages of Uffculme, Culmstock and Hemyock.
It is laid out on both sides of the River Culm; the village is joined by a single old narrow stone bridge across the river.
The villages in the novel, Perlycombe, Perlycross and Perliton, represent the real villages of Hemyock, Culmstock and Uffculme respectively.
He was a local farmer, his family had farmed in the parish of Culmstock since 1600.
R D Blackmore wrote a three-volume novel called Perlycross: a Tale of the Western Hills which is set in the fictional villages of Perlycombe, Perlycross and Perliton, which represent Hemyock, Culmstock and Uffculme respectively.
The labourers assembled in Tiverton, and were joined by those of Uffculme, Bampton, Silverton, Collumpton, Bradninch and Culmstock.