Northlew lies in the east of Ruby Country, with fine views of Dartmoor and beautiful surrounding countryside. It has an attractive main square surrounded by traditional buildings, some of them thatched; just off the square are a pub, the local primary school and two churches, the Church of England parish church of Saint Thomas Becket and the Methodist church. Also on the square are the Village Stores and Post Office. The village can be found approx. 7 miles northwest of Okehampton and 5 miles west of the ancient town of Hatherleigh. The river Lew which runs through the valley and is crossed on entry to the village. The fine Parish Church of St Thomas of Canterbury contains a beautiful carved screen, pews and fascinating roof bosses and dates from the 15th century.

Historically, Northlew formed part of Black Torrington Hundred. It gets its name from the ancient manor of Lew, mentioned in the Domesday Book; the village of Lewdown and the River Lew are nearby.

Some of this text has been sourced from the Northlew website, which is well worth a visit!

(Image of St Thomas' Church, Northlew, courtesy of Derek Harper. © Copyright Derek Harper and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.)