Early 19th century quarrying exposed evidence of very early occupation, with flint tools and animal bones found in a small cave indicating habitation 40,000 years ago.

Uphill's position on the coast gives a clue to its growth. Though hard evidence is scant, it seems the Romans may well have used Uphill as a port for moving lead from their mines at Charterhouse. It was the Mediaeval monks of Glastonbury who changed the local landscape forever with the construction of flood defence dykes and drainage ditches, turning the River Axe into an important inland waterway.

The oldest domestic building is Uphill Farm, probably late 16th Century. Sandcroft Cottages, Rose Cottage, Park Cottage and the superbly restored Old Schoolhouse complete with thatched roof are all surviving examples of Uphill's rural past and the Coastguard Cottages remind us of the illicit trade in spirits and tobacco which went on hereabouts.

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