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The Byre is in Goodleigh, North Devon, a small village three miles north of Barnstaple with many classic old houses that reflect the history of the village. It has a pub, school and a church. The Church (St. Gregory,) is an ancient Gothic structure, with a short tower, and some stained glass in its windows. Its screen is richly ornamented." [From White's Devonshire Directory (1850)]. The village pub, “The New Inn “serves wonderful food all prepared by Julia in the kitchen and Justin always has a selection of local and guest beers. Children are welcome and there is a large beer garden to let them run wild!
Read our guide to Barnstaple.
The village is surrounded by stunning scenery and lovely walks along ancient green lanes with steep banks laden with primroses, bluebells, campion, fox gloves and other wild flowers in spring and early summer.
North Devon is blessed with beautiful landscapes offering inspirational views no matter what time of year you visit. Enjoy lively coastal resorts, spectacular sandy beaches, the rolling hills of Tarka Country and the wild dramatic moorlands of Exmoor. With many tourist attractions, events and festivals there’s something for everyone!
Discover superb views and fine dining in ‘Little Switzerland’: explore Lynmouth’s attractive harbour and riverside or cliff top walks where Exmoor meets the sea. Then travel ‘upstairs’ to Lynton with its quaint tea rooms via the famous Lynton-Lynmouth cliff railway.
Along the coast nestled snugly amongst rugged cliffs, Victorian Ilfracombe remains largely unspoilt. Many shops, pubs and restaurants surround its bustling harbour and quay. Visit the intriguing Tunnels beaches, or board a boat for a day trip to Lundy Island.
Woolacombe, is popular coastal village overlooking a magnificent four mile golden sandy beach, ideal for surfing and body boarding. Croyde is another surfing centre and village steeped in old-world charm while nearby Saunton tempts you with yet more miles of golden surfing friendly beaches backed by Braunton burrows – an environmentally important wilderness of rolling dunes.
The attractive market town and commercial centre of Barnstaple offers a unique mix of traditional and fashionable shopping and is renowned for its Pannier markets of local crafts and antiques. Nearby Bideford is a lively market town with a newly developed quay and an undercover retail-shopping outlet.
Appledore, a thriving port is a maze of quaint narrow streets and fisherman’s cottages with an abundance of art galleries and crafts shops to browse. A few miles along, Westward Ho! is a traditional seaside resort with sandy beaches, a long promenade and amusements. A family favourite.
In the heart of Tarka Country the ancient settlement of Great Torrington, known as ‘Cavalier Town’ from the civil war, is sited overlooking the River Torridge, whose banks form part of the Tarka Trail, un-spoilt countryside to walk or cycle through.
The picturesque fishing village of Clovelly is a delight to explore with cobbled streets that lead down to an ancient beautiful harbour and cottages that cling to the hillside.
Hartland is perhaps the wildest of all the Heritage Coastline. Sheer rugged cliffs hold many wreckers tales. Magnificent views across to Lundy Island. Explore the 12th Century Abbey and glorious gardens or visit the Quay Museum.
Within 20 mininutes of The Byre you can enjoy almost any activity you can imagine, from walks on Exmoor or the long empty beaches, take a ride along the Tarka Trail which stretches for miles through the beautiful North Devon countryside, play tennis at the Tarka tennis centre with it's 6 indoor and 6 outdoor courts of for the more adventurous, the local beaches at Saunton, Puttsburough and Croyde offer some of the best surfing in the world. Or if you want to just wander around Lynton and Lynmouth are a must. All this provides plenty of entertainment for a summer holiday or a short break in North Devon. The main town of North Devon is Barnstaple, which offers great shops, restaurants and places to visit, it dates back to Viking times and has many architectural sites for the keen historian. The Pannier market in the centre of the town is famous for its local food, produce, arts and crafts.
North Devon holds the fantastic North Devon Festival during June with international stars performing at the Queens Theatre and the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe. This festival also includes the famous music festival on Croyde beach - Ocean Fest! which will have top bands from around the world.
There are a host of beautiful seaside villages to explore, such as Clovelly which has been kept intact for thousands of years and the local village of Appledore also hosts a wealth of crafts and art galleries.
For the more adventurous there is a host of water-sports from surfing to kite -surfing and canoeing. Instow has a great sailing club where the kids can learn to sail. Barnstaple also has one of the country’s leading tennis centres, Tarka tennis centre, with six indoor and six outdoor courts as well as top level coaches on site. For cyclists of all levels the Tarka trail cycle path which runs from Torrington all the way through to Instow and on to Braunton offers great, level, cycling through the beautiful North Devon county-side.
For younger children there are fantastic theme parks like the Wildlife and Dinosaur Park at Combe Martin and The Big Sheep and The Milky Way with loads of scary rides.
North Devon also has many beautiful gardens like the ones at Rosemoor, Docton Mill and the amazing Sculpture Park at Broomhill just outside Barnstaple.
If you simply just want to wander round and enjoy the scene then Lynton and Lynmouth and the "Valley of the Rocks" make a lovely day out.
North Devon is unique in having the wilds of Exmoor and the long peaceful beaches along the coast, perfect for relaxed walks with or without the dog.
North Devon is host to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches; Saunton Sands with 6 miles of stunning beach; Putsburough, to the west side of Woolacombe bay is the most beautiful beach you will ever see; plus the famous beach at Croyde, all of this is only 20 minutes drive away. The area is also famous for some of the best surfing in the world and also hosts a stunning nature reserve for birds at Braunton Burroughs. The coastal walks run for miles and are well marked with regular breaks for refreshments and Devon cream tea’s.
