Westward Ho! was created as a holiday destination in the mid 1860's. A consortium of thirteen business people created a company "The Northam Burrows Hotel and Villa Company", brought some land then constructed a grand hotel. This was the start of what became Westward Ho! village.
North Devon was a busy destination for the Victorians thanks to Charles Kingsley. His novel "Westward Ho!", written in 1855 while he lived in Bideford, became an instant best seller. Many fans of the book flocked to North Devon.