Royal & Fortescue Coffee House

Set right by the lounges of the Royal & Fortescue Hotel, their Coffee House is a delightful place…

The New Inn Hotel

The New Inn lies in the heart of Clovelly and is peaceful and quaint. It is certainly peaceful as…

Ilfracombe Holiday Park

Situated in the beautiful North Devon and minutes from the centre of the lovely harbour town of…

Tarka Trail North Devon

The Tarka Trail is one of the country's longest continuous traffic-free walking and cycling paths, and forms part of the Devon Coast to Coast Cycle Route.

Follow in Tarka’s footsteps

Inspired by Henry Williamson’s much loved novel ‘Tarka the Otter’, this 163 miles/261kms recreation route follows Tarka’s journey in a figure of eight, through the northern part of the county. The route can be followed on foot or by bike and is a fabulous way for the whole family to visit some of the places mentioned in the original novel.

The Trail takes you through an ever-changing variety of some of the wonderful Devon scenery described in the book, including tranquil countryside, wooded river valleys, rugged moorland and dramatic coast and is a wonderful and sustainable way to explore this area.

Comprehensively waymarked, the walk varies from easy to challenging and there are plenty of different routes for you to take making it a new adventure every single time. Short sections of the trail and circular walks from it are ideal for day and half-day excursions. The terrain is a mixture, with some challenging sections and some flat, off road sections, making it suitable for a wide range of visitors.

Where to pick up the route

The entire route is centered around the town of Barnstaple, the largest town in the region and takes in areas of Exmoor, the Valley of the Rocks and the coastline. If the town is mentioned in the book, you can likely access it along the trail as many of the locations featured in the original novel are real life places. You can pick up the route at various points across the county, the Trail passes through the towns of Lynmouth, Barnstaple, Bideford, Torrington, Okehampton and Ilfracombe and parts of it coincide with the South West Coast Path, the Two Moors Way and the Dartmoor Way, giving you plenty of chances to explore. There are also a number of short circular routes that are located alongside the main north and south Tarka Trail route which are designed to take a couple of hours, allowing you to explore the villages and points of interest along the trail while not spending all day.

The trail has a north loop that runs from Barnstaple through to the areas of Braunton, Croyde, Ilfracombe, Combe Martin and Lynmouth and then returning to Barnstaple.
Alternatively, the south loop runs from Barnstaple through to Bideford, where you can find Hatherleigh, Okehampton, North Tawnton and Eggesford. You can then return to Barnstaple using the Tarka Line train.

Facilities

When planning a trip to the Tarka Trail, make sure to take note of the facilities along the route. You’ll find shops, restaurants, pubs and public toilets at all the towns and villages along the route as well as places to stay. Some of the towns also have defibrillators and access to health care professionals, should you need medical assistance during your visit.

Check the local listings for the public transport times for journeys along the Tarka Line.

For more information on the Tarka Trail, including maps, routes and the various points where you can join the trail, visit the official site, https://www.tarkatrail.org.uk/

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Number of results: 79

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Seadog

Ilfracombe

Mobile kitchen and private catering
Seadog specialise in innovative world food inspired dishes that take their local Devon catch on a journey across the globe. They can…
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
from 314 review(s)
The Old Vicarage, Barnstaple

Barnstaple

Each visitor to The Old Vicarage Bed and Breakfast is welcomed by Sandi or Bryan with homemade cake and fresh milk and can look forward to a quiet night’s sleep in a…
Cracking Nuts

Ilfracombe

Cracking Nuts serve up freshly roasted hot nuts with coffee and ice creams to hungry surfers, whilst enjoying the sea breeze and breathtaking views.
You can also pick up…
Miles Fish & Chips

Serving MSC Certified fish & chips freshly prepared and cooked from their mobile van to these locations:
High Bickington
Chivenor
Chulmleigh
Bratton…
Brightlycott Barton

Barnstaple

Brightlycott Barton in Barnstaple is a 4 acre south facing caravan and camping park with excellent panoramic views and multiple awards. The site consists of 20 level pitches…
Madrigal Brewery

Hele

We are a small-batch artisan brewery working out of a former Edwardian gas works in the coastal village of Hele. We produce twelve (and counting) hand-crafted beers ranging…
Meadowland Farm B&B, Dolton

Winkleigh

A farmhouse B&B with high-quality en-suite rooms and a Shepherd’s Hut with modern facilities looking out over our fields to the river Torridge.
Meadowland Farm located…
Country Life Brewery

BIDEFORD

Established in 1998, using the brew plant from Lundy Island, the brewery was originally located at the families’ pub near Westward Ho! The Brewery moved to The Big Sheep in…
Tennacott Farm Dairy

Barnstaple

Tennacott Dairy is based on a family farm on the outskirts of Bideford. They use milk from their dairy herd to produce a range of different flavours of ice cream. They aim to…
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
from 81 review(s)
The Darnley Hotel

Ilfracombe

An independently family run establishment. The owners have started a rolling programme of updates and investments. The objective of which is to retain the original features…
The Collingdale Guest House

Ilfracombe

The Collingdale Guest House is an award-winning, AA four star Guest House situated directly on the South West Coastal Path with panoramic views of Ilfracombe harbour and the…
Calaca Loca

Award winning nachos, burritos, tacos, and rice bowls with various fillings including slow cooked shredded beef chilli, slow cooked belly crispy pork (carnitas) and braised…
Lower Hearson Farm

Barnstaple

Come and Relax on our small family run farm where you can join in with feeding the animals if you want to. An opportunity to create special memories that will last a lifetime…
My Favourite Cottages

Barnstaple

My Favourite Cottages is a holiday home letting agency based in Barnstaple, North Devon. We specialise is quality self-catering properties from one bedroom cottages, cottages…
Nature's Nutrition

Bideford

Nature’s Nutrition is nestled in the small busy town of Bideford along the pedestrianised section of Mill Street. We are a small, co-operative shop providing a vast choice to…
Langs Farm Shop and Tea Room

Bideford

Award winning meat produced on the family run 300 acre farm. Local food, cider and ales for sale.
Where to buy?
Direct from the farm shop
Awards:
British…
Walrus Fisheries

Ilfracombe

A long running family business, Walrus Fisheries fish the North Devon coast for lobster, brown crab and spider crab and provide restaurants, fish mongers and private…
TripAdvisor Traveller Rating
from 140 review(s)
Ocean Backpackers Hostel

Ilfracombe

Due to Covid19, Ocean Backpackers is currently running in accordance with Government Guidelines. Please see our website for all details.
Ocean Backpackers is situated…
Contours Walking Holidays

Contours Walking Holidays organise self-guided walking holidays in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We organise everything to enable you to walk your chosen route at…
The Thatched Inn

Bideford

The Thatched Inn is a traditional historic pub situated in the small village of Abbotsham.
Formerly a Tradesman pub, The Thatched Inn has been the heart of the local…

Tarka Trail North Devon

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