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The
delightful village of Instow has been welcoming visitors since Victorian
times. It lies at the confluence of two rivers The Taw and The Torridge.
With its superb beach and colourful Regency style terraced houses it is
easy to see why it is still popular today. If you are travelling by car
it is half way between Bideford and Barnstaple on the B3233. If you are
walking or cycling on the Tarka Trail we recommend you step over the tracks
and rest a while. There are places to stay, inns, cafes and restaurants
a-plenty, a supermarket, a post office, giftshops and galleries. The Waterside
Gallery has regular exhibitions and also has local artists work on display.
From the Instow Signal Box, which is one of the smallest listed buildings,
make your way along the Quay. Over the new quay wall you can see the old
Railway Station, now home to the North Devon Yacht Club, Appledore Shipyard
is on the opposite bank with Bideford just in sight upriver. In the Summertime,
if the tide was right, you could take the ferry over to Appledore from the
jetty by the Round House. Sadly the ferry service that had existed between
Appledore and Instow for more than two centuries was withdrawn in September
last year. There are plans by the North Devon Ferry Project committee to
reinstate a ferry link across the Taw and Torridge estuary and it is hoped
a pilot scheme between Appledore, Instow and Crow Point could be in operation
as early as next summer. The very first ferry ran from Braunton in 1639.
The interesting artwork on the wall by the boat park is the "Leaping
Salmon" Willow Sculpture designed by the children of Instow Primary
School for "Instow in Bloom". Many of the terraced houses have
brightly painted wooden shutters, a great advantage on wild and windy days.
The new apartments were built on the site of the old Marine Hotel. As Instow
beach comes into view you can now appreciate why it is so popular. Golden
sands as far as the eye can see with stunning views across the estuary to
Appledore, Crowe Point and Braunton Burrows. Even on a calm day, if the
tide is coming in, the white waters of the Atlantic Ocean can be seen pounding
over the famous Bideford Bar. It is easy to understand how even the most
experienced seafarers flounder here and why Appledore, Bideford and Instow
were regularly flooded. In 1992 work was completed on the Instow Flood Defence
Scheme which enhanced the Quay from the jetty to the entrance of the Yacht
Club raising the existing sea walls by 0.5 metres. The village celebrated
the completion with a street party. There are grand houses set back from
the road all the way along Marine Parade, the elegant Commodore Hotel has
won many awards for its Cream Teas and is a popular location for special
occasions and wedding receptions. At high tide the estuary is a hive of
activity. Boats of all shapes and sizes with or without sails can be seen
just bobbing or darting to and fro. It is not always plain sailing for wind-surfers
who constantly fight the elements and their equipment resulting in regular
spills and more time spent in the water than on it! All this action is great
entertainment for those who prefer to take in the sea air at an easier pace;
be very lazy sit on the promenade and just chill or wait for one of Instow's
glorious sunsets. The beach, high tide or low, is always fun for everyone,
perfect for a game of cricket or volleyball, building sandcastles, beach
combing or a bracing walk. At the end of Marine Parade are the sandhills.
The main car park is here. The North Devon Cricket Club, which celebrated
its 175th Anniversary in 1998 is close by. The thatched Club House and Score
Box were presented to the club in 1949. You can rejoin the Tarka Trail through
a small walkway then continue on by Isley Marsh Nature Reserve on Instow's
eastern border, past the site of the old Power Station at Yelland, onwards
to Fremington Quay and Barnstaple. Instow Parish rises up from the foreshore
to Worlington. Instow Church is positioned high on the hillside. The beach
at Instow and farms on the uplands are owned by the Christie Estates together
with the freehold of much of the land in the parish. The entrance to Tapley
Manor is on the B3233 just past the Westleigh signpost if you are travelling
from Bideford so while you are here make sure you visit Tapley Park Gardens
which are open everyday except Saturday from March to the beginning of November.
The annual Appledore /Instow Regatta will be held this year on 7th-13th
August. For more information on Instow and its history we recommend you
read all about it in the book "Instow a History" which was voted
Devon Book of the Year by the Devon History Society. The book was a community
project for the Millenium co-ordinated by local historian Alison Grant.
Isley Marsh Nature Reserve has been designated a Site of Special
Scientific Interest because of number of wildfowl and wading birds that
use the estuary during the winter.
Braunton Burrows is now part of a world class UNESCO Biosphere
Reserve. "The Biosphere Reserve has a core area centred on Braunton
Burrows, which is owned by Christie Estate who manages the site with the
MOD. The Reserve stretches out into what are called buffer zones and the
transitional areas, to include Braunton Marshes and great Fields, Northam
Burrows, Kipling Tors, Croyde Dunes and the Taw and Torridge Estuary, and
its catchment area". For more information visit Northern
Devon Coast & Countryside Service
Historical References: "Instow
a History" by Alison Grant & Others |
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