Black Torrington is located within North Devon local authority area. Historically it formed part of Braunton Hundred. It falls within Holsworthy Deanery for ecclesiastical purposes. The Deaneries are used to arrange the typescript Church Notes of B.F.Cresswell which are held in the Westcountry Studies Library. In 1641/2 165 adult males signed the Protestation returns.

A parish history file is held in Holsworthy Library. You can look for other material on the community by using the place search on the main local studies database. Further historical information is also available on the Genuki website

Maps: The image below is of the Black Torrington area on Donn's one inch to the mile survey of 1765.

On the County Series Ordnance Survey mapping the area is to be found on 1:2,500 sheet 51/11 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 51SE
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SS465057. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SS40SE, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 113, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 190. Geological sheet 323 also covers the area.

Illustrations: The image below is of Black Torrington as included in the Library's Etched on Devon's memory website. Other images can be searched for on the local studies catalogue.

Extract from Devon by W.G.Hoskins (1954), included by kind permission of the copyright holder:

TORRINGTON, BLACK is a small, nondescript village. The parish church (St. Mary) is entirely 15th century, well restored and well kept. It has some good modern woodwork, and a fine wagon roof to the S. aisle, with carved ribs and bosses.