Marwood is located within North Devon local authority area. Historically it formed part of Braunton Hundred. It falls within Barnstaple 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. The population was 632 in 1801 681 in 1901 . Figures for other years are available on the local studies website. In 1641/2 185 adult males signed the Protestation returns.

A parish history file is held in Braunton 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 Marwood 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 9/10 Six inch (1:10560) sheet 9SW
The National Grid reference for the centre of the area is SS544375. On the post 1945 National Grid Ordnance Survey mapping the sheets are: 1:10,000 (six inch to a mile: sheet SS53NW, 1:25,000 mapping: sheet Explorer 139, Landranger (1:50,000) mapping: sheet 180. Geological sheet 293 also covers the area.

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

MARWOOD is a large and beautiful parish, with wooded combes, open downland (rising at Hewish Down Beacon to 859 ft.), and a number of interesting farmhouses. A considerable [lumber of farmsteads go back to Saxon times and are recorded in Domesday Book. These are Marwood itself, Blakewell, Kingsheanton, Metcombe, Varley, Westcott Barton, Whiddon, and Whitefield Barton. Kennacott, another farm, is recorded as early as 1167. Westcott Barton, a home of the Chichesters in the 17th century, is a very interesting example of a large Devonbarton in site and layout, with its own small mill. It appears to be medieval in part, remodelled c. 1600.

The parish church (St. Michael) is excellently sited, looking down a wooded valley, and is of unusual interest for its fittings. It is mainly an early 14th century cruciform church, of which the N. transept was enlarged into an aisle in the late 15th century. It is plastered and whitewashed throughout, and is most attractive. The fittings include (I) a fine rood-screen to the N. aisle, with good Renaissance detail. It bears the name of Sir John Beaupel "parson of Marwood," fl. 1520, which is the period of the screen. The screen retains the carved E. back of the rood-loft, but the remainder of the work was destroyed after 1852; (2) carved bench-ends in the nave; (3) a 17th century pulpit; (4) royal arms of George III in plaster; (5) a number of pleasant monuments, esp. one to William and Anthony Peard, 1652; (6) carved ribs and bosses to N. aisle roof; (7) sundial by John Berry (1762) on the S. porch, showing the approximate time in the principal capitals of Europe and at Jerusalem. John Berry made many sundials in North Devon.