Barnstaple, winner of the 2017 “Town in Bloom” accolade, is where the history of famous folk and so much more is illustrated in the Barnstaple Heritage Centre. The Green Lanes Shopping Centre has a range of brand named shops, and the historic Pannier Market has stalls with interesting items. There are so many fantastic places to eat and stay in Barnstaple that it would be impossible to mention them all in these pages, but The Olive Branch in Boutport Street is fairly central and does great food.


There are live events on the town centre square and the Annual Fair is held on the Wednesday before 20 September each year. For sport, there is rowing or a round of golf and much more. For those who love to EXPLORE, cycling, walking, or horse riding, the Tarka Trail is a track along the coast, along river estuaries, through countryside and culminating on the northern slopes of Dartmoor. The trail between Barnstaple, down the Taw and upriver to Bideford, following the Torridge to Torrington is a disused railway line.


Going a little inland from Barnstaple on the North Devon link road, South Molton is the first north Devon town coming from the M5 and is a great base to EXPLORE Exmoor, the coast, beaches and the many villages and hamlets in the region.


There is an abundance of places to eat, stay, shop and plenty to do for visitors.


There is a Honey Farm and a town trail with lots of information on the history and architecture of the town, plus some excellent walks through stunning countryside, and a cycle network across north Devon to Exmoor.


Barnstaple Market


Image by Andrew Marn from Pixabay


Torridge is the Taw and Torridge rivers, and the Atlantic Coast region of North Devon. The countryside, coast, bustling market towns, villages and hamlets offer opportunities for relaxing or fun packed holidays. Discover local customs and festivals from Potwalloping and May Fair celebrations to music events and of course the famous local agricultural shows. There are a plethora of places to stay/eat from holiday/camping parks to high-end hotels and B/B.


The following is a potted guide to some of the towns and villages from Bideford to Hartland Point to Bude.


Appledore has ship building yard and other boat businesses offering repairs, sailing instruction etc.


In the maze of narrow streets leading to the quay there a range of shops, pubs, guesthouses and art galleries, the quay has activities including boat excursions, boats & other types of craft to hire, fishing trips, crabbing contests, and sometimes Morris Dancers.


Lundy Lighthouse


Image by Andrew Jenner from Pixabay


The Seagate Hotel on the quay and has good reviews. For a great DAY OUT a ferry is available to Instow on the opposite side of the river with its long beach, sand dunes and walking trails.


Places to stay and eat and shop include The Instow Arms. When in the area the Northam Burrows Country Park is always open, but vehicles are restricted. The Burrows Centre is open from May to September. Also the Tapeley Park & Gardens is worth a visit.


For the Taw and Torridge Estuary Bideford is the market town. The narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay which at high tide is in regular use by fishing boats, pleasure craft, large cargo ships and the Lundy Island Ferry. For the more adventurous, Lundy Island holds the annual Lundy Island Race each year in July.


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The quay is a hive of activity with craft for hire, organised fishing trips, bus tours & river cruises.


For life at a more sedate pace Victoria Park has excellent colourful floral displays, or just sit by the quayside and watch the world go by. A favourite with tourists is the Pannier Market and Butchers’ Row is open Monday to Saturday. The history of the town is at Burton Art Gallery and Museum or the Library. The Tourist Information Centre has the dates for local events, leisure activities, nearby attractions and the annual fun events including the Bideford Folk Festival, Bideford Regatta, Bideford Water Festival and Bideford Carnival.


All of the above plus lively pubs, a variety of places to eat/stay/shop plus popular night spots, make Bideford a pleasure to visit.


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