Clovelly Court Gardens

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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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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…
Pelican Fish & Chips

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Voted the UK’s top Independent Fish & Chip Restaurant 2018 by The National Fish and Chip Awards (Fish ‘n’ Chip Oscars!) and one of the Best 10 by the industry-leading Fry…
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Ocean Backpackers Hostel

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Due to Covid19, Ocean Backpackers is currently running in accordance with Government Guidelines. Please see our website for all details.
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Cracking Nuts

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West Down Guest House

Umberleigh, Nr Barnstaple

West Down is an AA award winning farm guest house providing superb dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation in Glorious North Devon. Optional superb home cooked evening meals…
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 Cycle Hire

Barnstaple

John & Margaret Kempson started Tarka Trail Cycle Hire in 1989, shortly after the disused Barnstaple to Bideford line was converted for recreational use and given the…
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…
Miles Fish & Chips

Serving MSC Certified fish & chips freshly prepared and cooked from their mobile van to these locations:
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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…
Streets Coachways

Barnstaple

For quality coach hire in North Devon with family values look no further than Streets Coachways.
Established in 1962, Streets Coachways Ltd are your local transport…
Green Man Cider

Barnstaple

Green Man cider is made only from top quality apples carefully sourced from orchards in Somerset and North Devon. Apples are selected from traditional sweet, bittersweet,…
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:
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Sark Guest House

Barnstaple

Sark is a pleasant Victorian property, it is situated 10 minutes walk from the town centre where you can find an array of pubs, resturaunts and shops including the famous…
Stay In Devon

Devon is a beautiful county and so it isn’t surprising that so many people want to stay there, we’re committed to making sure that our guests have the best possible…
The Darnley Hotel

Ilfracombe

A bespoke Hotel set in it’s own quiet gardens not far from the busy High Street.
The bespoke Restaurant is small and intimate with a relaxing atmosphere.
Serving a…
Seasonal Samosas

Bideford

Seasonal Samosas is a family run busines making sustainable, seasonal, environmental, local and organically produced samosas, pakoras and tikkas.
Their dishes are the…
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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…
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…
Madrigal Brewery

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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…

Tarka Trail North Devon

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