South Hams
§ This page gives an overview of the South Hams local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. This is one of 361 LAD profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ South Hams in Devon is a district of exceptional natural beauty, with a coastline stretching from Dartmouth to Plymouth Sound. It encompasses part of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, featuring coves, cliffs, and sandy beaches such as those near Salcombe and Bantham. The River Dart winds through scenic valleys, with Dartmouth’s historic port at its mouth. Totnes, an inland market town, is known for its independent shops and historic castle. The district’s countryside includes rolling farmland and part of Dartmoor National Park, creating a mix of coastal and upland scenery.
South Hams Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the South Hams local authority district, based on the latest geographic data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It provides a clear view of the district’s extent and helps you understand how the area fits within the wider regional and national landscape.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2025. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
The administrative boundary of South Hams can also be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of South Hams.
Key Facts about South Hams
What region is South Hams in? South Hams is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is South Hams in? South Hams is located in the county of Devon.
Is South Hams a city? No, South Hams is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs South Hams? The local authority for this district is: South Hams District Council - responsible for district-level services. Since Devon is a two-tier area, county-level services are handled by: Devon County Council.
▶ Official website of South Hams District Council 🔗 southhams.gov.uk
Which police force covers South Hams? Policing in South Hams is provided by Devon & Cornwall Police 🔗 devon-cornwall.police.uk, which serves 12 local authority districts: Cornwall ⁞ East Devon ⁞ Exeter ⁞ Isles of Scilly ⁞ Mid Devon ⁞ North Devon ⁞ Plymouth ⁞ South Hams ⁞ Teignbridge ⁞ Torbay ⁞ Torridge ⁞ West Devon.
Constituencies in South Hams
South Hams is divided into 2 parliamentary constituencies, listed below in alphabetical order.
A constituency is a specific geographical area that elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons. The United Kingdom is divided into 650 parliamentary constituencies. We have this list page for easy browsing of all UK parliamentary constituencies: List of Constituencies.
Wards in South Hams
South Hams is divided into 20 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Allington & Strete
- Bickleigh & Cornwood
- Blackawton & Stoke Fleming
- Charterlands
- Dartington & Staverton
- Dartmouth & East Dart
- Ermington & Ugborough
- Ivybridge East
- Ivybridge West
- Kingsbridge
- Loddiswell & Aveton Gifford
- Marldon & Littlehempston
- Newton & Yealmpton
- Salcombe & Thurlestone
- South Brent
- Stokenham
- Totnes
- Wembury & Brixton
- West Dart
- Woolwell
In the UK, a ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, used mainly for electoral and statistical purposes. Defined by the ONS, wards represent the primary unit for local elections, each returning one or more councillors to the local council. Wards are also used as a key geography for presenting population and census data. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
Parishes in South Hams
South Hams is fully parished: 61 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Ashprington
- Aveton Gifford
- Berry Pomeroy
- Bickleigh
- Bigbury
- Blackawton
- Brixton
- Buckland-Tout-Saints
- Charleton
- Chivelstone
- Churchstow
- Cornwood
- Cornworthy
- Dartington
- Dartmouth
- Dean Prior
- Diptford
- Dittisham
- East Allington
- East Portlemouth
- Ermington
- Frogmore and Sherford
- Halwell and Moreleigh
- Harberton
- Harford
- Holbeton
- Holne
- Ivybridge
- Kingsbridge
- Kingston
- Kingswear
- Littlehempston
- Loddiswell
- Malborough
- Marldon
- Modbury
- Newton and Noss
- North Huish
- Rattery
- Ringmore
- Salcombe
- Shaugh Prior
- Slapton
- South Brent
- South Huish
- South Milton
- South Pool
- Sparkwell
- Staverton
- Stoke Fleming
- Stoke Gabriel
- Stokenham
- Strete
- Thurlestone
- Totnes
- Ugborough
- Wembury
- West Alvington
- West Buckfastleigh
- Woodleigh
- Yealmpton
A civil parish is the lowest tier of local government in England, used for villages, small towns, and suburbs. They have their own local authority, either a parish council or a parish meeting, which provides local services like managing parks, allotments, and streetlights, and represents the community's views to larger councils.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in South Hams
Below is a list of post towns in South Hams, grouped by postcode area:
- PL ▸ Ivybridge (PL21)
- TQ ▸ Dartmouth (TQ6) ⁞ Kingsbridge (TQ7) ⁞ Salcombe (TQ8) ⁞ South Brent (TQ9 / TQ10) ⁞ Totnes (TQ9)
The UK postal hierarchy begins with broad postcode areas (such as “CB” or “M”), which are divided into smaller postcode districts (such as “CB8” or “M1”) to support accurate mail routing. Each postal address is anchored by a designated post town, the official locality name used in the UK postcode system, which operates independently from Local Authority Districts —the administrative boundaries used for council tax and local government services. Because they serve different purposes, a property’s postal address and its local authority district do not always align exactly.
Built-up Areas in South Hams
South Hams covers 43 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Ashburton *
- Aveton Gifford
- Bickleigh
- Bigbury-on-Sea
- Bittaford
- Blackawton
- Brixham *
- Brixton
- Buckfast *
- Buckfastleigh *
- Chillington
- Dartington
- Dartmouth
- Dittisham
- Ermington
- Heybrook Bay
- Inner Hope
- Ivybridge
- Kingsbridge
- Kingswear
- Lee Mill
- Loddiswell
- Malborough
- Marldon *
- Modbury
- Newton Ferrers
- Noss Mayo
- Paignton *
- Plymouth *
- Salcombe
- Sherford *
- Slapton (South Hams)
- South Brent
- South Milton
- Stoke Fleming
- Stoke Gabriel
- Stokenham
- Strete
- Thurlestone
- Totnes
- Wembury
- West Charleton
- Yealmpton
In the UK, a Built-up Area (BUA) is a continuous urban area of at least 20 hectares (0.2 km²), defined by the ONS as land where buildings are generally no more than 200 metres apart, such as towns, cities, or large villages. (Note: A BUA name marked with an asterisk (*) indicates that the area is situated partly in the district of South Hams.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in South Hams
South Hams is served by a number of National Rail stations, providing rail connections to nearby towns, cities, and destinations across Great Britain. The railway stations listed below are located within the South Hams Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Great Western Railway ▸ Totnes (TQ9 5JR) ⁞ Ivybridge (PL21 0DQ)
This is a district-level view only. For a complete list of all National Rail stations across Great Britain, see the UK National Rail Stations Directory.
South Hams compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how South Hams compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
South Hams has 20 electoral wards.
South Hams has a population of 92,148 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
Population and Migration Trends in South Hams
This chart shows the population trend for South Hams from 2015 to 2024. It provides a quick overview of whether the local authority is growing, stable, or declining over time, and helps set context for the migration patterns shown below.
Population change is influenced by natural change (births minus deaths) and migration. The net migration chart below focuses on migration, separating internal migration (moves within the UK) from international migration (moves to and from abroad). Positive values indicate net inflows, while negative values indicate net outflows. The rate labels (per 1,000 residents) help compare migration intensity across years, even when the population size changes.
More local statistics and data for South Hams can be found on the ONS statistics for South Hams.