South West

The South West of England is known for its coastlines, countryside, and heritage cities. It is home to Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset, as well as Bath and Bristol. The region’s landscapes include the Jurassic Coast, Exmoor National Park, and Dartmoor National Park. Tourism, agriculture, and renewable energy are important economic drivers.

The South West features a mix of unitary authorities and two-tier county systems, with governance reflecting both historic boundaries and modern reforms. Rural areas dominate, but major urban centres provide economic and cultural hubs.

Ceremonial Counties in South West region

The South West consists of 7 ceremonial counties: Bristol, Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Wiltshire. The region offers a combination of rural tranquility, historic towns, and busy ports.

There are 48 Ceremonial Counties in England. The above lists 7 Ceremonial Counties in South West region.

Districts in South West

The UK is divided into Local Authority Districts (LADs) as the main building blocks of local government and statistical geography. The following lists all the LADs in this region.

Unitary Authorities ▸ Bath and North East Somerset ⁞ Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ⁞ Bristol, City of ⁞ Cornwall ⁞ Dorset ⁞ Isles of Scilly ⁞ North Somerset ⁞ Plymouth ⁞ Somerset ⁞ South Gloucestershire ⁞ Swindon ⁞ Torbay ⁞ Wiltshire
Devon ▸ East Devon ⁞ Exeter ⁞ Mid Devon ⁞ North Devon ⁞ South Hams ⁞ Teignbridge ⁞ Torridge ⁞ West Devon
Gloucestershire ▸ Cheltenham ⁞ Cotswold ⁞ Forest of Dean ⁞ Gloucester ⁞ Stroud ⁞ Tewkesbury

A Local Authority District (LAD) is a statistical geography used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to describe areas governed by local authorities. LADs include non-metropolitan districts (often called district councils), metropolitan districts, London boroughs, unitary authorities, council areas in Scotland, and local government districts in Northern Ireland. In total, there are 361 Local Authority Districts across the UK. A full nationwide list is available in the List of all Local Authority Districts in the UK.

Post Towns in South West

Below is a complete list of post towns in South West, grouped by postcode area to make browsing easier.

BA ▸ Bath ⁞ Bradford-on-Avon ⁞ Bruton ⁞ Castle Cary ⁞ Frome ⁞ Glastonbury ⁞ Radstock ⁞ Shepton Mallet ⁞ Street ⁞ Templecombe ⁞ Trowbridge ⁞ Warminster ⁞ Wells ⁞ Westbury ⁞ Wincanton ⁞ Yeovil
BH ▸ Bournemouth ⁞ Broadstone ⁞ Christchurch ⁞ Ferndown ⁞ New Milton ⁞ Poole ⁞ Ringwood ⁞ Swanage ⁞ Verwood ⁞ Wareham ⁞ Wimborne
BS ▸ Axbridge ⁞ Banwell ⁞ Bristol ⁞ Cheddar ⁞ Clevedon ⁞ Wedmore ⁞ Weston-super-Mare ⁞ Winscombe
DT ▸ Beaminster ⁞ Blandford Forum ⁞ Bridport ⁞ Dorchester ⁞ Lyme Regis ⁞ Portland ⁞ Sherborne ⁞ Sturminster Newton ⁞ Weymouth
EX ▸ Axminster ⁞ Barnstaple ⁞ Beaworthy ⁞ Bideford ⁞ Braunton ⁞ Bude ⁞ Budleigh Salterton ⁞ Chulmleigh ⁞ Colyton ⁞ Crediton ⁞ Cullompton ⁞ Dawlish ⁞ Exeter ⁞ Exmouth ⁞ Holsworthy ⁞ Honiton ⁞ Ilfracombe ⁞ Lynmouth ⁞ Lynton ⁞ North Tawton ⁞ Okehampton ⁞ Ottery St. Mary ⁞ Seaton ⁞ Sidmouth ⁞ South Molton ⁞ Tiverton ⁞ Torrington ⁞ Umberleigh ⁞ Winkleigh ⁞ Woolacombe
GL ▸ Badminton ⁞ Berkeley ⁞ Blakeney ⁞ Cheltenham ⁞ Chipping Campden ⁞ Cinderford ⁞ Cirencester ⁞ Coleford ⁞ Drybrook ⁞ Dursley ⁞ Dymock ⁞ Fairford ⁞ Gloucester ⁞ Lechlade ⁞ Longhope ⁞ Lydbrook ⁞ Lydney ⁞ Mitcheldean ⁞ Moreton-in-Marsh ⁞ Newent ⁞ Newnham ⁞ Ruardean ⁞ Stonehouse ⁞ Stroud ⁞ Tetbury ⁞ Tewkesbury ⁞ Westbury-on-Severn ⁞ Wotton-under-Edge
OX ▸ Abingdon ⁞ Bampton ⁞ Banbury ⁞ Bicester ⁞ Burford ⁞ Carterton ⁞ Chinnor ⁞ Chipping Norton ⁞ Didcot ⁞ Kidlington ⁞ Oxford ⁞ Thame ⁞ Wallingford ⁞ Wantage ⁞ Watlington ⁞ Witney ⁞ Woodstock
PL ▸ Bodmin ⁞ Boscastle ⁞ Callington ⁞ Calstock ⁞ Camelford ⁞ Delabole ⁞ Fowey ⁞ Gunnislake ⁞ Ivybridge ⁞ Launceston ⁞ Lifton ⁞ Liskeard ⁞ Looe ⁞ Lostwithiel ⁞ Padstow ⁞ Par ⁞ Plymouth ⁞ Port Isaac ⁞ Saltash ⁞ St. Austell ⁞ Tavistock ⁞ Tintagel ⁞ Torpoint ⁞ Wadebridge ⁞ Yelverton
SN ▸ Calne ⁞ Chippenham ⁞ Corsham ⁞ Devizes ⁞ Faringdon ⁞ Malmesbury ⁞ Marlborough ⁞ Melksham ⁞ Pewsey ⁞ Swindon
SP ▸ Andover ⁞ Fordingbridge ⁞ Gillingham ⁞ Salisbury ⁞ Shaftesbury ⁞ Tidworth
TA ▸ Bridgwater ⁞ Burnham-on-Sea ⁞ Chard ⁞ Crewkerne ⁞ Dulverton ⁞ Highbridge ⁞ Hinton St. George ⁞ Ilminster ⁞ Langport ⁞ Martock ⁞ Merriott ⁞ Minehead ⁞ Montacute ⁞ Somerton ⁞ South Petherton ⁞ Stoke-sub-Hamdon ⁞ Taunton ⁞ Watchet ⁞ Wellington
TQ ▸ Brixham ⁞ Buckfastleigh ⁞ Dartmouth ⁞ Kingsbridge ⁞ Newton Abbot ⁞ Paignton ⁞ Salcombe ⁞ South Brent ⁞ Teignmouth ⁞ Torquay ⁞ Totnes
TR ▸ Camborne ⁞ Falmouth ⁞ Hayle ⁞ Helston ⁞ Isles of Scilly ⁞ Marazion ⁞ Newquay ⁞ Penryn ⁞ Penzance ⁞ Perranporth ⁞ Redruth ⁞ St. Agnes ⁞ St. Columb ⁞ St. Ives ⁞ Truro

Post towns are a key part of the UK postcode system and are used to organise mail delivery. They are not administrative areas and do not define council boundaries. Some post towns are very large and broadly align with major urban areas, while many others are smaller towns that sit within a single Local Authority District. In some cases, a post town may also span more than one Local Authority District. This difference in purpose and scale is why the UK has far more post towns (around 1,500) than local authority districts (361). For a nationwide overview, including postcode coverage for each post town, see the UK Post Towns Directory.

International Territorial Levels in South West Region

The International Territorial Levels (ITLs) are a hierarchical system of geographic boundaries used for statistical purposes, specifically for regional data analysis and international comparisons. It has three levels: ITL1, ITL2, and ITL3, with ITL1 being the broadest level and ITL3 the most detailed.

South West Region is one of ITL 1 areas in the UK. It is then divided ino the following ITL 2 areas (names in bold letters) and ITL 3 areas.

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly — Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Devon — Plymouth ⁞ Torbay ⁞ Devon CC
West of England — Bristol, City of ⁞ Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire
North Somerset, Somerset and Dorset — North Somerset ⁞ Somerset ⁞ Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole ⁞ Dorset
Gloucestershire and Wiltshire — Swindon ⁞ Wiltshire ⁞ Gloucestershire CC

In the UK in total there are: 12 ITLs 1, 46 ITLs 2, and 182 ITLs 3. Our information about ITLs hierarchy and names is based on this ONS website: International geographies - Office for National Statistics. We also have this web page for easy browsing of ITL names and codes: International Territorial Levels.

Constituencies in South West

There are 58 parliamentary constituencies in the South West, covering everything from coastal tourism hubs to agricultural heartlands. Issues such as housing, transport, and environmental protection are key to local politics.

There are 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom. These constituencies are the areas each represented by one Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons. We have this list page for easy browsing: UK parliamentary constituencies.

Population of South West England

South West England is home to around 5.76 million people (mid-2022, ONS). Spanning 23,838 square kilometres (9,204 square miles), it has a population density of 242 people per square kilometre—making it the least densely populated region in England.

South West England Population Compared to UK Regions' Figures — South West England Population Compared to other UK Regions

How it compares to the rest of England

Population share: The South West accounts for 10.1% of England’s total 57.1 million residents, ranking 6th out of 9 regions by population size.
Population density: With 242 people per km², the region is much less crowded than the national average of 438 people per km²—196 fewer people per km²—placing it 9th out of 9 regions for density.