We have been researching Charlotte Larpent’s life before she came to Leusdon. We were always intrigued as to how she got to know Leusdon and dedicate so much of her time and money to what must have been a peaceful, rather remote, moorland community in the 1850s and 1860s.

The result of this research is a new book which has been published under the title ‘Charlotte Larpent’s Enduring Legacy’, reflecting her contributions to both Leusdon on Dartmoor and Holmwood, near Dorking, in Surrey. It traces her journey from Holmwood to Watcombe in the parish of St. Marychurch (now part of Torbay), thence to Spitchwick Manor, and finally to Leusdon.

We have managed to find a number of illustrations to enliven the story even more and have produced the book with a hardcover, as this seemed more fitting to the subject matter.

You can buy a copy of this book by visiting www.widecombe-in-the-moor.com/charlotte.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to Leusdon and Holmwood Churches.

Supplementary Material

Ann Claxton’s paper on Early Victorian Schools in Widecombe-in-the-Moor between 1833-1870 is provided below.

We hope to add some more supplementary material soon.

Featured Image

The featured image shows the south elevation of Leusdon Church on a glorious winter morning in 2024.