Short answer: The Tarka Trail starts in town, is paved and traffic-free the whole way, and has no mud however wet it has been. That is a rare thing on Boxing Day in Devon, and it is free.
The Tarka Trail. It is a converted railway line, which means it is flat, paved and completely free of the mud that makes most Devon walks hard work in late December. It starts at the station and runs down the Taw estuary.
For a walk with older relatives, a buggy or anyone in ordinary shoes, there is nothing better in north Devon on Boxing Day.
Out along the estuary and back. Benched the whole way, so you can set your own distance — a mile out and back is enough to count, and the estuary birdlife is better in winter than summer.
The medieval Long Bridge over the Taw, much quieter now that through traffic uses the bypass. A short, flat loop through town takes it in.
Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.
The Pannier Market and the free museum will both be closed on the day itself. The market runs Tuesday to Saturday in normal weeks and the museum closes Sundays, so neither is a Boxing Day option.
Barnstaple is the end of the Tarka Line from Exeter, though check the timetable — rail services on Boxing Day are heavily reduced or suspended across the country.
If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The pubs that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.
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