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Activities in the Area

Arts & Crafts
Beaches
Day Trips from North Devon
Eating Places
Family Attractions
Historic Houses and Gardens
Links to other North Devon websites
Exmoor and Lynmouth area
Markets & Shopping
Railways
Sport & Leisure

Day Trips from North Devon

• Bude, Cornwall

• Castle Drogo,  near Exeter

• Clovelly, North Devon

• Dulverton, Somerset

• Dunster, Somerset [pictured right]

• Eden Project Cornwall

• Exeter

• Exmouth

• Lost Gardens of Heligan Cornwall

• Lundy Island

• Paignton Zoo

• Powderham Castle, Exeter

• Torquay

Arts & Crafts

There are numerous craft galleries, potteries and glass factories in North Devon

• Brannam Pottery at Barnstaple

• Broomhill Art Gallery and sculptures near Barnstaple [pictured left]

• Burton Art Gallery in Bideford

• Dartington Crystal  at Torrington

• Elliott Art Gallery at Braunton

• Roger Cockram Ceramics at Chittlehampton [pictured left]

• Lynmouth Pottery and Brass Rubbing

• Monkleigh Pottery near Bideford

• Old Corn Mill & Pottery

• Plough Arts Centre, Torrington

Markets & Shopping

Small town and village pannier markets are usually only open mornings. Barnstaple markets are usually open all day.

• Barnstaple Daily: Pannier market in the Market Hall opposite Marks & Spencer

  • Monday - Local Crafts, Collectables and General Goods - April to Christmas

  • Tuesday - Local Produce and General Goods - all year round

  • Wednesday - Antiques, Collectables and Book Market - all year round

  • Thursday - Local Craft and General Goods - April to Christmas

  • Friday - Local Produce and General Goods - all year round

  • Saturday - Local Produce and General Goods - all year round

• Barnstaple Friday morning: Cattle Market 

• Barnstaple - a shopping area with a small mall and some of the big names and chain store brands

• Bideford, Atlantic Village - a good sized shopping mall with some designer outlets

• Bideford, Pannier Market in town centre Tuesday & Saturday

• Combe Martin has two small supermarkets and two post offices

• Ilfracombe has numerous shops, most are individual, family-run stores and a Tesco supermarket

• Lynmouth has a post office and a variety of souvenir shops

• Lynton has three small supermarkets and plenty of souvenir shops

• South Molton - Pannier Market Thursday & Farmers Market Saturday

• Torrington - Pannier Market - Thursday & Saturday, antiques on Friday

Railways

• Bideford Railway Heritage Centre, Instow
• Devon Railway Centre, Bickleigh, Near Tiverton
• Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, Exmoor
• Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway
• Tarka Line  Barnstaple to Exeter
• West Somerset Railway [pictured right]

Family Attractions

Within one - two hours drive there are numerous attractions, all of which are open from Easter to end September. These include adventure and entertainment parks as follows:

Atlantic Village Outlet Shopping Centre, near Bideford Barometer World near Torrington Brocklands Adventure Park at Kilkhampton Chambercome Manor, near Ilfracombe Cliff Railway at Lynton Clovelly cliffside village [entrance fee] Cobbaton Combat Museum, near Umberleigh Diggerland, near Cullompton [pictured right] Eden Project, Cornwall Exmoor Pony Centre Gnome Reserve at Bradworthy Keypitts Off Road Centre at Ilfracombe Killarney Springs at Bude Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall Milky Way Adventure Park at Clovelly The Mill, indoor climbing wall, South Molton North Devon Karting Centre, Barnstaple Once Upon a Time at Woolacombe [pictured right] Torrington 1646 (Civil War Battle site) in Torrington Watermouth Castle at Watermouth Cove Wildlife & Dinosaur Park at Combe Martin [pictured right] Farm Parks and Zoos include: The Big Sheep at Bideford [pictured right] Exmoor Zoo North Devon Farm Park near Barnstaple The Tordown Farm at Swimbridge Quince Honey Farm near South Molton

Top: Gardens,
Middle: Powderham Castle, Exeter
Hartland Abbey and Gardens

Historic houses & Museums

Historic houses and general interest museums are abundant.  The Cobbaton Combat Collection started as a hobby and is now an exceptional military museum. The Lynmouth Flood exhibition is also very interesting. At Fremington Quay, there is an RSPB viewing area and a beach which accepts dogs.Castles, Houses and Gardens

There are more than 120 Devon gardens to explore, in aid of charities supported by The National Gardens Scheme. Those closest to the North Devon coast include the following:

• Arlington Court (National Trust property) near Barnstaple. Rolling parkland, terraced Victoria Garden, fine specimen trees. 

• Chambercombe Manor, Ilfracombe

• Clovelly Court Gardens, near Bideford

• Cobbaton Combat Collection

• Docton Mill & Gardens, near Hartland

• Dunster Castle, near Minehead

• Hartland Abbey and Gardens

• Heddon Hall at Parracombe, 4 acres on edge of Exmoor.

• The Gate House near Lee offers 2.25 acres with stream and range of habitats

• Knightshayes Court, near Tiverton, National Trust

• Lynmouth Flood Exhibition, Lynmouth

• Marwood Hill Gardens, near Barnstaple

• Tapeley Park, Instow

• Watermouth Castle at Watermouth Cove

• Watersmeet, near Lynmouth [wonderful for walks - dogs permitted]

• Westcott Barton, near Barnstaple. 2-acre valley garden with stream, bridge and bluebell wood

Sports and Leisure Activities Boating and Cruising Cycling Diving Fishing Golf Horse Riding Swimming Theatres Walking Boating & Cruising

Cycling

Many places in Barnstaple also offer cycle hire. There is the Tarka Trail to enjoy, which follows an old railway line. It is therefore level and so ideal for cyclists of all ages and fitness. Drive to Fremington Quay where you can park, hire a bike from Biketrail Cycle Hire and have a spot of lunch overlooking the sea and bird sanctuary. Great for ornithologists too!

Diving

The North Devon Sub Aqua Club will take visitors out to Lundy or other areas where diving is permitted. The region does have strong tides and offers a very different type of diving to many coastal resorts, so please be sure to discuss your diving experience with the club.
 

Fishing You can take your rods and fish off the harbour at Lynmouth, or off any of the inlets and bays. Course Fishing Bakers Farm, Moortown, Torrington Melberry, near Bideford Mill Park, Berrynarbor Jennetts, near Bideford Riverton House & Lakes, Swimbridge near Barnstaple Wistlandpound, enter via Calvert Trust Gate Deep Sea & Mackerel Fishing  Boats can be hired at Lynmouth Harbour.

Stillwater Trout  Blakewell Fishery, Barnstaple [pictured right] Wistlandpound, enter via Calvert Trust Gate on A399 Golf Bideford, Royal North Devon Golf Chulmleigh : small 9 hole course, very good for learners Ilfracombe: Superb views of the sea and Wales Saunton : championship links course [pictured right] Willingcot Valley Golf Club, Woolacombe Open Golf Tournament in Ilfracombe early June each year Horse Riding Bodstone Barton, Berry Down, near Combe Martin Brendon Manor, near Lynmouth Dean Riding Centre, Dean, Trentishoe, Parracombe Eastacott Farm, Woolacombe Liscombe Riding Stables, Dulverton Mullacott Equestrian Centre at Ilfracombe Outovercott, Barbrook, Lynton

Swimming

• Ilfracombe - public indoor heated swimming pool. Also Tunnels Beach, a safe, tidal bathing pool available from May to September.

• Cascades Indoor Fun Pool, near Croyde. Flume rides and Jacuzzis

• Barnstaple - public indoor heated pool with ocean wave

• Aqua Splash at Minehead

Theatres & Cinemas

There is a small but very good cinema in Lynton which shows most of the current films. Ilfracombe has a theatre, two cinemas and a museum. Further museums and heritage centres can be found at Appledore, Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton, Chittlehampton, Combe Martin [including a motorcycle collection], Croyde, Hartland, Lynton, Mortehoe, South Molton and Torrington. The theatre in Barnstaple offers a variety of performances from ballet, to drama and celebrity shows.

• Queens Theatre, Barnstaple

• Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe

• Lynton Cinema

• Plough Arts Centre, Torrington

• Central Cinema, Barnstaple

Walking - idyllic area for walkers and dog lovers! 

• Tarka Trail - coastal trail that wends its way through Watermouth Cove

• South West Coastal Path - this also runs through Lynmouth - see www.swcp.org.uk or www.nationaltrail.co.uk/southwestcoastpath  

• There are numerous self-guided walks, maps and details available from the tourist information centre at Blackmoor Gate

• Exmoor teems with footpaths and bridal paths 

• North Devon Walking Festival May - see events