Due to information and historic evidence coming out of the Local History Day in April 2016, there is much renewed interest in the early history of the historic core of Bickleigh village. The work carried out by Richardson and Waterhouse has already hinted that the historic core development of the village was around the present location of the Church. Further substantive research by a leading Anglo-Saxon academic has concluded that the Royal Council Meeting held in AD904 at "Bicanleag" was most likely in Bickleigh, Tiverton and in all probability the village estate arose around the south/south west facing hillside location near the present site of St Mary's Church. This interim report (Probert June 2016) has now been released and includes an analysis of early routeway development and settlement morphology. Glebe Terrier documents (1602 and 1682) and 1922 Glebe Maps which came to light as a result of the Local History Day have also been consulted in this report. Bickleigh History Group sees this report's conclusions as a major development in understanding the village centre's historic importance.

The Exe Valley U3A (University of the Third Age) spent an enjoyable afternoon recently on a walk and talk tour around the historic centre of Bickleigh. Led by members of the Bickleigh History Group, information was given about 12 of the oldest places surrounding the Parish Church and old Village Green. Stories were told about former occupants and the trades they followed. With good fertile land, natural springs, the nearby River Exe and working Mill it was easy to see how village life developed and provided for most villagers’ needs. The old Forge and Smithy was open for inspection and a behind the scenes visit made to the old Stable block of the former Rectory, a building mentioned in a document of 1602. Passing through the Church Lych Gate-known locally as the ‘Trim-tram’ a close inspection was made of the very fine Portland stone grave of Caroline Robley who died in Tiverton of ‘dropsy’ in 1843 and whose family made their wealth through the sugar plantations and slave trade in Tobago. Her link with Bickleigh remains a mystery.