South Molton is a small town in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole.

The town was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Reform Act 1835. It retained this status as a municipal borough until 1967, when it became a rural borough in the South Molton Rural District.

Ideally situated as a base to explore the beautiful countryside of North Devon and Exmoor, South Molton is in one of the last remaining rural areas of Britain.

There is much to do in and around the town for visitors of all ages. There is a honey farm where you can watch the bees working behind glass, a chocolate factory where you can indulge yourself and an award-winning museum.

You will also find excellent Devon scenery with some fabulous countryside in which you can walk and a growing cycle network to take you across Exmoor and North Devon.

Key Stats

• The population for the market town area has risen by about 7% since 1991 which is quite a low figure compared to North Devon and the county. The population of the town (2001 census) is 4,093.
• Levels of households occupied by individuals in the area as a whole are slightly lower to the county and district averages. However, levels in South Molton are higher reaching about a third of the total households.
• The levels of economic activity are consistent with district and county. There are high levels of part-timers in South Molton and self-employment in the rural area.
• Claim rates for Income Support are below those for the district but Job Seekers Allowance is above the county figure.
• The proportion of children achieving at least level 4 at Key Stage 2 in the rural area is better than the district, county and national averages. In South Molton parish results for English were better, Maths about average but slightly low in Science.
• Results for GCSEs are better than average with students South Molton parish achieving the best results.
• Select here for more statistics about South Molton and surrounding area. (1.06MB - pdf help)