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. This is one of 361 LAD 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.
Torridge Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the Torridge 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 Torridge can also 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
Torridge is divided into 1 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 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
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.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in Torridge
Below is a list of post towns in Torridge, grouped by postcode area:
- EX ▸ Beaworthy (EX21) ⁞ Bideford (EX39) ⁞ Holsworthy (EX22) ⁞ Torrington (EX38) ⁞ Winkleigh (EX19)
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 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.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in Torridge
Torridge 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 Torridge Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
Great Western Railway ▸ Portsmouth Arms (EX37 9NB)
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.
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)
Population and Migration Trends in Torridge
This chart shows the population trend for Torridge 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 Torridge can be found on the ONS statistics for Torridge.