About Barnstaple, Braunton and Instow

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Barnstaple has long been the commercial and cultural centre for the whole North Devon region, and today the town is home to a pleasing mix of restaurants and shops.

The town has a delightful river frontage along the estuary of the Taw and many historic buildings, public gardens and recreation facilities – overlooking Barnstaple’s ancient stone bridge is the North Devon Leisure Centre, which has a superb indoor pool, sports hall, squash courts and gym.

Barnstaple is an increasingly popular base for a touring holiday, as it’s within 15 minutes of some of the region’s best-loved sandy beaches and offers easy access, too, to Exmoor, and its surrounding countryside.

Head north-west to Braunton Burrows Nature Reserve, a dune-backed haven for many rare flowers, birds and butterflies which leads on to the wide sandy beaches of Crow Point and Saunton.

Or head to the pretty estuary village of Instow, home of the Royal Devon Yacht Club and a Iong stretch of golden sand which is perfect for beach games and paddling. The Tarka Trail, a 180-mile route which follows the journey of Henry Williamson's famous otter, is accessed at the Instow Signal Box – the first such building in the country to acquire Listed building status.

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