Barnstaple Parking: Or Take the Train and Skip It

Short answer: Barnstaple is north Devon's main town with plenty of central parking, and it is the terminus of the Tarka Line from Exeter — so arriving by train is genuinely easy. The Tarka Trail starts here, with cycle hire at the town end.

A town, so parking is not the problem

Barnstaple is where you go when the beach is not an option, and it has the parking of a proper town rather than a village. Multi-storey and surface car parks through the centre, and nothing like the pressure of the coast in August.

Consider the train instead

Barnstaple is the terminus of the Tarka Line from Exeter, which makes it one of the few places in north Devon you can reach without driving. That matters more than usual here, because what you have come for — the Tarka Trail — starts at the station end and runs thirty flat, paved, traffic-free miles down the estuary.

Cycle hire is available at the town end. Barnstaple to Instow and back is a comfortable family ride with a pub at the turning point.

What is walkable from the centre

• The Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon — free, by the Long Bridge. Closed Sundays.
• Barnstaple Pannier Market — the huge covered Victorian hall, Tuesday to Saturday, dog friendly and wheelchair accessible.
• The Long Bridge itself — medieval, originally 13th century.
• The Tarka Trail, straight from the station.

Out of town

Air Extreme Trampoline Park at Roundswell has free parking and sessions on the hour — book ahead for a discount. The Muddiford Inn north of town combines a country pub with a farm shop, opens at half seven and has a children's play area; closed Mondays.

Eating in town

Claytons & The Glasshouse is the best dinner in Barnstaple. Bull & Bear on Boutport Street has an exceptional gluten-free offering. Tarko Lounge in the centre is open nine till late and dog friendly.

If you are cycling rather than driving, see how long the Tarka Trail takes.