The parish abuts the west coast, about six miles (10 km) north of Bude[2] and within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

[3] As well as the churchtown (a hamlet called Crosstown), other settlements in the parish include Shop, Woodford, Gooseham, Eastcott, Woolley and West Youlstone.

Morwenstow is the one-time home of the eccentric vicar and poet Robert Stephen Hawker (1803–1875), the writer of Cornwall's anthem Trelawny.

[9] The manor of Stanbury in the parish is the birthplace of John Stanberry, Bishop of Hereford, who was made first Provost at Eton College by King Henry VI.

GCHQ Bude, a satellite ground station stands on the cliffs of Cleave and its array of dishes is visible for miles around.

[11] Morwenstow and its surroundings feature heavily in the plot of the mystery thriller novel Set in Stone (1999) by the British author Robert Goddard.