Widmouth farm is on a headland called Widmouth Head, about a kilometre to the north-east of Hele, beside the A399 coast road from Hele to Watermouth. Samson's Bay is to the west of the headland and Widmouth Beach and Watermouth are to the east. Widmouth Hill is just under a kilometre to the south of Widmouth farm and it is possible that Oxenpark Lane, an ancient ridgeway, once led to Watermouth. Roman coins have been found in the cove and it is said that Watermouth Castle, a relatively modern folly, was built on the site of a earlier castle or fort.

The place name Widmouth is from Old English meaning "wide mouth". The mouth element, also in Watermouth, refers to the entrance to the cove here.

Widmouth (farm) and Widmouth Head are so-called on the first OS map of 1809. Widmouth Hill, Widmouth Head, Widmouth Beach and Widmouth farm are all so-called on the OS map of 1891.

Wydmouth 1529 Recov, ‘Wide mouth’, referring to the bay here. Cf Widemouth (Co), Widemutha 1180 P, Wydemuthe 1302 Ass (Gover et al 1932 p 48)

Mouth is from Old English mūþ applied to things resembling a mouth "The outfall of a river; the entrance to a haven, valley etc." (SOED 1978 Vol 2 p 1365)