It is not an ecclesiastical parish as it has no church of its own, which reflects its status as a relatively recent settlement which grew up around the ancient "Copleston Cross" (see below) that stands at the junction of the three ancient ecclesiastical parishes of Colebrooke, Crediton and Down St Mary.

Copplestone is surrounded by hills and is not far from Dartmoor, visible to the east and Exmoor to the north, a little farther away.

[8] The granite for the cross must have been brought some 9 miles from Dartmoor, which suggests it had some deep cultural significance.

[9] Putta, the second and last Bishop of Tawton (reigned 906–910), was murdered in 910 whilst travelling from his see at Bishops Tawton, on the River Taw 2 miles south of Barnstaple in North Devon, to visit the Saxon viceroy Uffa, whose residence was at Crediton.

More recently,the concentration of Copplestone family members has gradually moved from Devon into Hampshire and West Sussex.