Broadwoodwidger is located within Torridge local authority area. Historically it formed part of Lifton Hundred. The population was 586 in 1801 593 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 156 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 Broadwoodwidger 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 87/1 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 87NW
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SX410891. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SX48NW, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 112, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 190. Geological sheet 323 also covers the area.

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

BROADWOODWIDGER stands on a steep hill above the wooded valley of the Wolf, with splendid views of Dartmoor from the churchyard. The church (St. Nicholas) stands well and is interesting. Traces remain of the late Norman building, chiefly the font and the lower parts of the N. wall of nave and transept. An unbuttressed W. tower was added in the late 14th century, the upper stage about a century later when the church was enlarged by the addition of a S. aisle. The granite arcade has good, boldly-cut capitals. The mutilated effigy in curious platearmour in the S. aisle is said by Westcote to be that of William Shilston of Upcott, an old mansion in this parish, now a farmhouse of late 16th century date. There is a good granite S. porch with roof bosses, a rood-screen of rather coarse detail (early 16th century) and coarsely carved bench-ends of the same date. The S. aisle retains its original roof with carved bosses and wall-plates. Among the farms of the parish Downacarey, Moor, and Norton were all recorded in Domesday Book. Witherdon was one of the mansions of the Bidlakes and retains a good deal of old work.