Short answer: Appledore's galleries and independent shops give you an hour of ducking between doorways, and the pubs on the quay do the rest. For a proper wet day, The Big Sheep is ten minutes away and Bideford's indoor attractions are close behind.
Appledore is a small fishing village of narrow streets running down to a quay. It has galleries, independent shops and several good pubs, and that is the whole inventory. It is a lovely hour in the rain and it is not a wet day.
The streets themselves are the appeal — colour-washed cottages, galleries and small shops close enough together that you are never more than a few steps from a doorway. Park at the top and walk down, as always here; the streets are too narrow to drive into comfortably.
The Big Sheep, past Bideford, has indoor play and animal shows — check the opening days, as it closes some weekdays out of season. Bideford itself has World of Wonder soft play at the Affinity centre, described as the cleanest in the region.
The Milky Way Adventure Park is further out past Clovelly and largely indoors, which makes it the most reliable wet-day option in north Devon. Closed Mondays and Fridays.
The Tarka Trail runs along the far side of the water, reached via Instow or Bideford. It is paved and traffic-free, so no mud however wet it has been.
Instow has the Boathouse facing the estuary — mussels rated the best in north Devon, and windows to watch the weather from. The seasonal ferry means you can get there without moving the car.
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