Short answer: Bideford's quay faces east across the Torridge, so the sun sets behind the town. For a real sunset, go ten minutes to Instow — the Boathouse there has sunsets over the water — or to Westward Ho!, which faces the open Atlantic.
Bideford sits on the west bank of the Torridge, looking east across the river. The sun goes down behind the town, not over the water.
Ten minutes away across the estuary, and the Boathouse there is known for exactly this — sunsets over the water, with mussels rated the best in north Devon. Ask for a table facing the beach, and book for evenings.
Ten minutes west, facing the open Atlantic across two miles of flat sand. A proper sunset over the sea, with nothing between you and the horizon.
Across the estuary — a huge open beach with a western horizon and very few people in the evening.
Arrive half an hour before sunset and stay twenty minutes after. The afterglow is usually better than the sunset itself, and most people leave the moment the sun touches the horizon.
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