What to do and see in Barnstaple, England: The Best Nature & Parks

August 11, 2021 Mikaela Didonna

Barnstaple (/ˈbɑːrnstəbəl/ ( listen) or /ˈbɑːrnstəpəl/) is the main town of North Devon, England and possibly the oldest borough in the United Kingdom. It is a former river port, located at the lowest crossing point of the River Taw, flowing into the Bristol Channel.
Restaurants in Barnstaple

1. Heddon Valley

Martinhoe Between Combe Martin & Lynton, Barnstaple EX31 4PY England +44 1598 763402 http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/heddon-valley/
Excellent
79%
Good
20%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 203 reviews

Heddon Valley

Reviewed By O8035DBannet - Barnstaple, United Kingdom

Beautiful walk down to the beach....it's how become National trust property.... Gutters inn is great for a drink and food to warm up at this time of year....

2. Exmoor Zoo

South Stowford Bratton Fleming, Barnstaple EX31 4SG England +44 1598 763352 [email protected] http://www.exmoorzoo.co.uk
Excellent
68%
Good
24%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,626 reviews

Exmoor Zoo

Winner of FSB Family business 2019,Winner of the Legacy award ,Best Family Business 2017, Gold award for best attraction in the South-west 2012, Exmoor Zoo has become an ideal family day out. The zoo has established a good rapport with the North Devon community and offers a very hand on experience.Activities run throughout the day (every half hour in summer), meet a bird eating spider, hold a snake, feed wallabies), meet some of the zoos friendly furry animals and go to all the talks and feeding sessions!Home to the “Exmoor Beast” (a pair of black leopards), Puma, Cheetah, Maned wolves, monkeys and lots of other unusual animals like Tamandua, Fishing cats, Tapir, Singing dogs and Binturong to just name a few! The zoo is a living place with changes all the time; no visit is ever quite the same.Useful information:• Disabled access (wheelchair provision and scooter hire)• Activities through out the day• Cafeteria• Children’s playground• Undercover picnic areas• Zoo trail.

Reviewed By red_snowUK - Marlow, United Kingdom

We are staying in the area for Christmas and found Exmoor Zoo on TA. What a gem of a Zoo, a great range of species from reptiles to big cats to wildfowl to primates and a wide range of mammals including the lovely and rare in Europe, singing dogs What I really liked was seeing a lot of the more unusual species and how close you get to large cats as they devour their meat. I saw new enclosures being built for new species as well. A great find, really enjoyable and great for close up observations ..... including a “beast of exmoor”

3. Blakewell

Muddiford, Barnstaple EX31 4ET England +44 1271 344533 [email protected] http://www.blakewell.co.uk
Excellent
81%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 63 reviews

Blakewell

Waterside cafe and tea rooms on a working trout farm: Come and feed the fish, catch your own supper enjoy our lovely gardens and ponds while having a cream tea, specalist coffee or a light lunch such as our home made smoked trout pate salad. we are also a premier trout fishery & have a beautiful 5 acre lake stocked with hard fighting Rainbow & Brown trout from 2 to 20 pounds!

4. Rock Park

1881 Ladies' Mile, Barnstaple EX32 9AH England +44 1271 373311 http://barnstapletowncouncil.gov.uk/what-we-do/rock-park/
Excellent
46%
Good
44%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 41 reviews

Rock Park

5. Broomhill Sculpture Garden

Muddiford Road, Muddiford, Barnstaple EX31 4EX England +44 1271 850262 [email protected] http://www.broomhillart.co.uk/
Excellent
67%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 373 reviews

Broomhill Sculpture Garden

Reviewed By 39lizr

Wonderful sculpture trail set in beautiful woodland garden and meadow. Dizzying amount and variety of sculpture in every corner plus a sculpture competition to vote in. Lovely walks to make sure you see it all. Then you can get coffee and came in the hotel aterwards.

6. Barnstaple - Short Estuary Walk

Barnstaple Station, Barnstaple EX31 2AU England [email protected] http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/walksdb/20/
Excellent
51%
Good
43%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 47 reviews

Barnstaple - Short Estuary Walk

A 2.6 mile South West Coast Path walk mostly on a level tarmac path along the Taw Estuary. Look out for wildfowl and waterbirds as you walk past saltmarsh and tiny rocky beaches to the Tarka Inn. For dedicated walkers, the route continues through a once-bustling port and around marshland reclaimed from the sea, to Braunton Burrows.

7. Ashford Barnstaple - A Wyevale Garden Centre

Strand Lane, Barnstaple EX31 4BW England +44 844 288 5015 http://www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk/garden-centres/Ashford-Barnstaple/KR6
Excellent
0%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
100%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 105 reviews

Ashford Barnstaple - A Wyevale Garden Centre

Reviewed By Bob2470 - Barnstaple, United Kingdom

Light, bright and friendly, a brilliant venue to meet friends and family for lunch and to browse the impressive variety of goods and plants on offer. The restaurant food is excellent, served by attentive staff. In all, a pleasurable way to spend a couple of hours no matter the weather. St.Johns are to be congratulated for turning this garden centre around and putting it back on the local must visit list.

8. RSPB Isley Marsh

Lower Yelland, Barnstaple EX31 3EN England +44 1392 833311 https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves-and-events/reserves-a-z/isley-marsh/
Excellent
0%
Good
67%
Satisfactory
33%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 3 reviews

RSPB Isley Marsh

Made up of saltmarsh and intertidal mudflats on the southern edge of the Taw Torridge estuary and lies within the estuary SSSI. It is an important haven for undisturbed feeding and resting birds, especially the wintering flocks of ducks and waders, including curlew, greenshank, dunlin, little egret and spoonbill. No parking for 2 miles. The Tarka Trail runs along the south side of the reserve.

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