Essential Hotels > England > Devon > Barnstaple

Barnstaple is the largest town in North Devon, and one of the oldest significant settlements in the UK. It is positioned along the banks of the River Taw, inland of the Bristol Channel. Its location means that Barnstaple is in a great place for heading out to the North Devon coast, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or east towards the rural, unspoiled appeal of Exmoor National Park, which straddles the borders of Devon and Somerset. Barnstaple was a medieval ‘staple port’, meaning that its harbour was used for the transporting of taxable goods, in this case, wool. Its standing as a market town has endured over the centuries, and the town centre has an interesting mix of architectural styles. The Victorian-built Butchers Row and the indoor market stand out, and illustrate the trading reputation that Barnstaple held during the 19th century.

Barnstaple also makes a comfortable base from which to explore North Devon’s other picturesque towns and villages. Ilfracombe is one of the larger choices. Ilfracombe is a coastal resort with a very long heritage based around farming and fishing, with a harbour on the Bristol Channel. Ilfracombe’s notable structures include the remains of the Hillsborough Iron Age fort and the controversial architecture of the Landmark Theatre. The area north of Barnstaple also contains a selection of popular tourist spots. Croyde is a very small place that comes alive during the summer months as a tourist resort, thanks to its position next to the beach. It is popular with surfers. Likewise, Woolacombe is a summer holiday destination offering sandy beaches and tides for surfers.

In the opposite direction, south of Barnstaple, sits Bideford. A small harbour town, Bideford is possibly most famous for its links to Charles Kingsley, the prolific Victorian writer and author of The Water Babies. In an interesting aside, the nearby village of Westward Ho! is named after one of Kingsley’s works, and is the only place in the UK to be officially punctuated with an exclamation mark. In short, Barnstaple is an engaging and historic destination, and there is so much to see and do in the surrounding area that it is almost impossible to be bored in this part of North Devon.