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. This is one of 361 LAD 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.
West Devon Boundary Map
This map shows the official boundary of the West Devon 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 West Devon can also 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
West Devon is divided into 3 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 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. We have this list page for easy browsing of all electoral wards: List of all Electoral Wards in the UK.
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.
We have this list page for easy browsing of all parishes: List of Civil Parishes in England and Wales.
Post Towns in West Devon
Below is a list of post towns in West Devon, grouped by postcode area:
- EX ▸ North Tawton (EX20) ⁞ Okehampton (EX20)
- PL ▸ Lifton (PL16) ⁞ Tavistock (PL19) ⁞ Yelverton (PL20)
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 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.)
We have this list page for easy browsing of all built-up areas: List of all Built-up Areas in GB.
Railway Stations in West Devon
West Devon 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 West Devon Local Authority District and are grouped by train operating company for clarity.
- Dartmoor Railway ▸ Okehampton (EX20 1EJ) ⁞ Sampford Courtenay (EX20 2SP)
- Great Western Railway ▸ Bere Alston (PL20 7EP) ⁞ Bere Ferrers (PL20 7JS)
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.
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)
Population and Migration Trends in West Devon
This chart shows the population trend for West Devon 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 West Devon can be found on the ONS statistics for West Devon.