'to the north of' vs. 'north of'

Dear all!

I'd like to know what the exact meaning of "north of" is.

If I see in the text to be translated:

"A little town set north of London",

does that mean that that town is NOT a part of London anymore, so it's located TO THE NORTH OF LONDON? Or does it mean that that town is kind of London suburb placed in the northern part of London?

Again, if it is a town, we can assume that it is still an independent town.

But in a sentence like this:

"A cafe located north of Parker Road...",

does it mean that the cafe is still IN the Parker Road (in its nothern part), or is that cafe in another road or drive, or whatsoever situated to the north of that Parker Road?

Thank you in advance!