Lydford
| Lydford | |
|---|---|
St Petrock's Church, Lydford | |
Location within Devon | |
| Population | 370 (2021) |
| OS grid reference | SX512850 |
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Okehampton |
| Postcode district | EX20 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Lydford, sometimes spelled Lidford, is a village and civil parish, in Devon, seven miles (11 km) north of Tavistock on the western fringe of Dartmoor in the West Devon district. The parish covers an area of 50,000 acres (200 km2), and at the 2021 census had a population of 370.
The village is on the small River Lyd, which traverses a deep narrow chasm, crossed by a bridge of single span. Running south-west from the village is Lydford Gorge, a 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) wooded gorge which has been cut through the slate rock by the river, and is noted for its 30-metre (98 ft) waterfall. The gorge area is owned by the National Trust.
Once an important town, Lydford is noted for its history and surrounding countryside, and has been described as a tourism honeypot.