West Devon
§ This page gives an overview of the West Devon 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 ⁞ West Devon covers a largely rural area of moorland and valleys, including a significant part of Dartmoor National Park. Tavistock, the principal town, is a historic market town on the River Tavy, known for its pannier market and links to mining heritage. Okehampton lies at the northern gateway to Dartmoor, with a castle and walking routes into the moors. The River Tamar forms part of the western boundary, with scenic valleys and wooded landscapes. Its geography is defined by rugged moorland, rivers, and historic settlements.
The administrative boundary of West Devon can be viewed on OpenStreetMap: District Boundary of West Devon.
Key Facts about West Devon
What region is West Devon in? West Devon is in the South West of England, a region within the UK.
What county is West Devon in? West Devon is located in the county of Devon.
Is West Devon a city? No, West Devon is not a city. (Note: the UK has 76 officially designated cities.)
Who governs West Devon? The local authority for this district is: West Devon 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 West Devon District Council 🔗 westdevon.gov.uk
Which police force covers West Devon? Policing in West Devon 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 West Devon
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 West Devon
West Devon is divided into 18 wards, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bere Ferrers
- Bridestowe
- Buckland Monachorum
- Burrator
- Chagford
- Dartmoor
- Drewsteignton
- Exbourne
- Hatherleigh
- Mary Tavy
- Milton Ford
- Okehampton North
- Okehampton South
- South Tawton
- Tamarside
- Tavistock North
- Tavistock South East
- Tavistock South West
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 West Devon
West Devon is fully parished: 56 civil parishes, listed A-Z below.
- Beaworthy
- Belstone
- Bere Ferrers
- Bondleigh
- Bradstone
- Bratton Clovelly
- Brentor
- Bridestowe
- Broadwoodkelly
- Buckland Monachorum
- Chagford
- Coryton
- Dartmoor Forest
- Drewsteignton
- Dunterton
- Exbourne
- Germansweek
- Gidleigh
- Gulworthy
- Hatherleigh
- Highampton
- Horrabridge
- Iddesleigh
- Inwardleigh
- Jacobstowe
- Kelly
- Lamerton
- Lands common to Bridestowe and Sourton CP's
- Lewtrenchard
- Lifton
- Lydford
- Mary Tavy
- Marystow
- Meavy
- Meeth
- Milton Abbot
- Monkokehampton
- North Tawton
- Northlew
- Okehampton
- Okehampton Hamlets
- Peter Tavy
- Sampford Courtenay
- Sampford Spiney
- Sheepstor
- Sourton
- South Tawton
- Spreyton
- Sticklepath
- Stowford
- Sydenham Damerel
- Tavistock
- Throwleigh
- Thrushelton
- Walkhampton
- Whitchurch
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 West Devon
West Devon covers 20 built-up areas, listed below in alphabetical order.
- Bere Alston
- Buckland Monachorum
- Calstock *
- Chagford
- Crapstone
- Dousland
- Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel *
- Halwill Junction *
- Hatherleigh
- Horrabridge
- Lamerton
- Lifton
- Mary Tavy
- North Tawton
- Northlew
- Okehampton
- Princetown
- South Zeal
- Tavistock
- Yelverton
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 West Devon.)
West Devon compared with other districts in the UK
This section shows how West Devon compares with other local authority districts in the UK, using a variety of measures and rankings.
West Devon has 18 electoral wards.
West Devon has a population of 58,923 (2024 mid-year estimate by ONS)
More local statistics and data for West Devon can be found on the ONS statistics for West Devon.