Local Area - North Devon
BARNSTAPLE
As the regional ‘Capital’ of North Devon, Barnstaple is a thriving market town. The town centre offers a variety of shopping experiences from the old pannier market, trading most weekdays, to the more modern shopping centres which host the majority of major chain stores accompanying the numerous locally operated businesses.
The town also benefits from a varied choice of entertainment including local museum, library, cinema, theatre, bars & restaurants.
A short journey over the impressive 13th Century Bridge which crosses the river Taw will take you to the well equipped North Devon Leisure Centre that offers facilities for most sports and even hosts a church service on Sunday mornings. A few hundred feet from the Leisure Centre you will find the recently developed Tarka Tennis Centre which offers both indoor and all-weather outdoor courts.
Barnstaple is the home of the North Devon Hospital and benefits from numerous Primary and Secondary Schools with its educational facilities also including the North Devon College which offers higher education courses to all ages!
Access to Exeter is available via the Tarka line train station whilst the A361 North Devon link road connects to the M5 motorway.
Popular villages nearby are Instow, Fremington, Landkey, Braunton & Croyde with Exmoor National Park being only a short car journey.
BIDEFORD
Whilst still a working port, the ‘Little White Town’ of Bideford offers an excellent range of leisure and shopping facilities and plays host to many of the major high street retailers. The Atlantic Village shopping centre is also on the town’s outskirts.
Bideford benefits from a choice of infant & junior schools and also a secondary school & community college, together with a library, local arts gallery and medical centre.
With its geographical proximity to the coastal resort of Westward Ho! residents of Bideford can make benefit of the sandy surfing beach, outdoor tennis courts, cricket club and championship golf course. Other nearby picturesque resorts include Appledore, Instow and Fremington Quay.
The A39 or ‘Atlantic Highway’ offers Bideford excellent links to North Cornwall and the regional centre Barnstaple is only 9 miles away.
ILFRACOMBE
With its charming natural harbour offering excellent access to the Sea and many of the period style properties of the resort benefiting with views of the sea, Ilfracombe is a fast becoming magnet to property developers! Recently benefiting from investment in the harbour and pavilion and the completion of The Landmark Theatre, the town is going through a period of growth.
Shoppers will find many high street retailers in the town and primary and secondary schooling is also available.
Along with the vast marine activities available in this outstanding coastal resort, you can find a challenging 18 hole golf course, excellent mountain biking terrain, or if a more relaxed approach to life is preferred, numerous pavement cafes to watch the world go by.
Ilfracombe has excellent access to some of North Devon’s finest countryside by means of Exmoor National Park and the golden sands of Woolacombe, Putsborough and Croyde are only a short drive away.
SOUTH MOLTON
Where the beautiful Taw Valley and Exmoor meet, you will find the market town of South Molton. Once famed for its sheep market, weaving and cloth manufacturing industries the town has since become a thriving centre for the arts and antiques trades.
Known as being ‘The Gateway to Exmoor’ South Molton can boast to being surrounded by some of North Devon’s most inspiring landscape scenery.
Easy access to the A361 North Devon Link Road means that South Molton is well positioned for commuting to either Barnstaple to the North or Tiverton and Exeter to the South, should a quiet rural retreat be the order of the day!
The Pathfields Industrial Estate is found just off one of the A361 exits for South Molton and the town also benefits from a local swimming pool, bowling, football and rugby clubs, outdoor tennis courts and brand new skateboarding park.
Nearby villages include North Molton, Filleigh, East & West Buckland, Umberleigh, Chittlehampton to name but a few.
TORRINGTON
Steeped in history, the market town of Great Torrington offers residents a comprehensive selection of national brand and local trader shopping facilities. The town offers primary and secondary education, and a varied selection of country pursuits including walking, fishing and riding, within the hundreds of acres of common surrounding the town.
Torrington also enjoys a 9 hole golf course, art centre, swimming pool and football club. RHS Gardens at Rosemoor, Dartington Crystal and the re-enactments of the battle of Torrington during the Civil War are only a few attractions that make Torrington a popular destination for visitors.
Easy access to the larger towns of Bideford and Barnstaple by car or public transport means that spectacular coastline or beautiful North Devon countryside are only a short journey away.
BUDE
On the North Cornish coast and surrounded by many areas of outstanding natural beauty, Bude boasts numerous golden beaches famed for the quality of surfing and bathing facilities.
A challenging 18 hole Links golf course set again the rugged North Cornish coast and a well equipped leisure centre are just a few of the additional recreational facilities offered by the town.
Supporting both primary and secondary schools, Bude also lies favourably close to the ancient market town of Stratton which is home to both a medical centre and hospital.
Morwenstow, the beautiful harbour village of Boscastle and the mythical birthplace of King Arthur Tintagel, are all only a short drive along the breathtaking Atlantic highway.
