Instow Front Lighthouse

Instow stands on the wide estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet in north Devon. The village sits between Westleigh and Yelland, facing Appledore across the water. A small sandy beach and shifting dunes stretch along the shore, home to rare orchids such as the pyramidal orchid. The Tarka Trail crosses the village, giving walkers and cyclists an easy route in from the surrounding countryside. The South West Coast Path joins the trail here, leading on to longer coastal walks. At the heart of the village stands the 13th- or 14th-century Church of St John the Baptist, a Grade I listed building with ancient origins. The village grew from a small settlement of cottages near the old quay, built about 1620 and now a Grade II listed structure. In 1855 the railway arrived, bringing visitors and trade and shaping the modern village. A century later the rifle hall built in 1911 became a community space after training soldiers for two world wars. Military exercises during the Second World War included practice D-Day landings on the nearby dunes. Today the village retains its character while offering easy access by foot, bike or bus from Barnstaple and Bideford. Visitors find a wide sandy beach where boats lie stranded at low tide and calm waters suit families and water sports. A seasonal ferry links Instow Quay with Appledore slipway when tides allow. Nearby Braunton Burrows once held leading lights for the estuary; today Instow’s pair of steel lattice towers guide vessels in. The railway signal box, over 130 years old and Grade II listed, shows how the line once ran to Torrington. The church and chapel remain centres of village life, while the dunes shelter rare plants and wartime traces.