Torridge
§ This page gives an overview of the Torridge local authority district, bringing together key facts, maps, and data to help you quickly understand the area. One of 361 district profiles on Baseview.
Overview ⁞ Torridge, in north-west Devon, is a largely rural district with a dramatic Atlantic coastline. Bideford is its main town, with a historic quay on the River Torridge, while Great Torrington is noted for its commons and heritage. The coastline includes Westward Ho! with its beach and surf, and the rugged Hartland Peninsula with cliffs, waterfalls, and coastal paths. Inland, rolling farmland and wooded valleys dominate, interspersed with villages and historic sites. The district’s mix of estuaries, countryside, and coast gives it a varied landscape.
The administrative boundary of Torridge can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of Torridge.
Key Facts about Torridge
What region is Torridge in? Torridge is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is Torridge in? Torridge is located in the county of Devon.
Is Torridge a city? No, Torridge is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs Torridge? The local authority for this district is: Torridge 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 Torridge District Council 🔗 torridge.gov.uk
Which police force covers Torridge? Policing in Torridge 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 Torridge
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 Torridge
Torridge is divided into 16 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Appledore
- Bideford East
- Bideford North
- Bideford South
- Bideford West
- Broadheath
- Great Torrington
- Hartland
- Holsworthy
- Milton & Tamarside
- Monkleigh & Putford
- Northam
- Shebbear & Langtree
- Two Rivers & Three Moors
- Westward Ho!
- Winkleigh
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.
Parishes in Torridge
Torridge is fully parished: 64 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Abbots Bickington
- Abbotsham
- Alverdiscott
- Alwington
- Area not comprised in any Parish-Lundy Island
- Ashreigney
- Ashwater
- Beaford
- Bideford
- Black Torrington
- Bradford
- Bradworthy
- Bridgerule
- Broadwoodwidger
- Buckland Brewer
- Buckland Filleigh
- Bulkworthy
- Clawton
- Clovelly
- Cookbury
- Dolton
- Dowland
- East Putford
- Frithelstock
- Great Torrington
- Halwill
- Hartland
- High Bickington
- Hollacombe
- Holsworthy
- Holsworthy Hamlets
- Huish
- Huntshaw
- Landcross
- Langtree
- Little Torrington
- Littleham
- Luffincott
- Merton
- Milton Damerel
- Monkleigh
- Newton St. Petrock
- Northam
- Northcott
- Pancrasweek
- Parkham
- Peters Marland
- Petrockstow
- Pyworthy
- Roborough
- Shebbear
- Sheepwash
- St. Giles in the Wood
- St. Giles on the Heath
- Sutcombe
- Tetcott
- Thornbury
- Virginstow
- Weare Giffard
- Welcombe
- West Putford
- Winkleigh
- Woolfardisworthy
- Yarnscombe
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.
Built-up Areas in Torridge
Torridge covers 18 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Appledore (Torridge)
- Bideford
- Bradworthy
- Buck's Cross
- Chilsworthy (Torridge)
- Dolton
- Great Torrington
- Halwill Junction *
- Hartland
- High Bickington
- Holsworthy
- Littleham
- Northam
- Petrockstowe
- Shebbear
- Westward Ho!
- Winkleigh
- Woolfardisworthy
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 Torridge.)
Torridge compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how Torridge compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
Torridge has 16 electoral wards.
Torridge has a population of 69,841 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for Torridge can be found on the ONS statistics for Torridge.