To the north, parts of Dartmoor National Park are included, to the East lies the borders of Torquay, with Plymouth to the West. The South Hams contains some of the most unspoilt coastline on the south coast, including the promontories of Start Point and Bolt Head.

The current district was formed on April 1, 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of Dartmouth and Totnes municipal boroughs, Kingsbridge and Salcombe urban districts and Kingsbridge Rural District, Plympton (now amalgamated with Plymouth), St Mary Rural District and Totnes Rural District.

In the Anglo-Saxon era the South Hams was a feudal estate consisting of all of the land between the River Plym and River Dart and south of Dartmoor with the English Channel forming the southern boundary.

In 1917 the village of Hallsands was abandoned after much of it was lost to the sea. This happened because the shingle bank protecing the shore was removed to help build Devonport dockyard.

In 1944 several villages were evacuated so that training for D-day could be carried out in secret. The area was chosen because of the resemblance of its beaches to those of Normandy. Preparations were disrupted, and secrecy nearly compromised, by a devastating E-boat attack during Exercise Tiger. This is still remembered by the solitary American tank now standing proud at Torcross on Slapton sands, which was recovered from the sea bed. To this day unexploded armaments are found, but none have ever upset a holidaymaker.

Villages
In addition to the towns above, South Hams district contains the following villages:

Ashprington
Aveton Gifford
Berry Pomeroy
Bickleigh
Bigbury
Blackawton
Brixton
Buckland Tout Saints
Charleton
Chivelstone
Churchstow
Cornwood
Cornworthy
Dartington
Dean Prior
Diptford
Dittisham
Dodbrooke
East Allington
East Portlemouth
Ermington
Halwell
Harberton
Harford
Holbeton
Holne
Kingston
Kingswear
Littlehempston
Loddiswell
Malborough
Marldon
Modbury
Moreleigh
Newton Ferrers
North Huish
Rattery
Revelstoke
Ringmore
Shaugh Prior
Sherford
Slapton
South Brent
South Huish
South Milton
South Pool
Staverton
Stoke Fleming
Stoke Gabriel
Stokenham
Thurlestone
Ugborough
Wembury
West Alvington
Woodleigh
Yealmpton

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