Stowford village, sitting in the gentle hills to the west of Dartmoor, is mentioned in the Doomesday Book of 1087. Owned by Odofitz Gamalin it is listed as consisting of 10 acres of meadow, 15 acres of pasture, 12 acres of woodland and being worth 40 shillings. It sits just below what was the old A30, c. 650feet above sea level.
The village community is settled around the historic church of St John the Baptist. The church goes as far back as the C12th with it’s architectural fame resting on its Victorian restoration in 1874, in the gothic style, by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. Scott was invited to remodel the local parish church whilst doing work on Exeter Cathedral at the request of the Rector, John Wollocombe.
A thousand years on from the Doomesday Book we are still a rural and agricultural community within a conservation area and which was listed at the 2011 census as having a population of 303.
Our Parish Council is made up of local councillors who are non-political and work to the benefit of the parish and its residents. Parish Councils play a key part in rural democracy, working to keep West Devon Borough Council and Devon County Council in touch with the needs of people from smaller communities.
You can find a directory of all the past Chairman and Chairwoman on the Your Councillor page.