A shopper's paradise

By day, 900 yards of the town centre shopping streets are pedestrianised. The Green Lanes Shopping Centre, with over 200 yards of covered malls, sustains various department stores and many boutiques.

Old meets new in Barnstaple's pannier market

The famous Pannier Market, built in 1855, houses a home-produce market - on Fridays principally but also on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

It's home to an antiques market on Wednesdays, and arts and crafts on Thursdays and in the summer, Mondays too. Adjacent is the equally famous Butchers' Row.

Green Lanes - the modern shopping centre draws shoppers from all around

Rivalry between out-of-town stores and supermarkets and the town centre's traditional shops, along with the high street regulars such as Marks & Spencer, BHS, Woolworths, Boots, and the like, has drawn North Devon shoppers to Barnstaple in ever greater numbers.

Famous for its floral displays
Barnstaple is justly famous for its magnificent floral displays, particularly from mid-June to a week or two after the ancient chartered fair, which always starts on the Wednesday before 20th September and culminates on the following Saturday, with a carnival.

If you're in North Devon come and have a look - maybe even join me on one of the guided walks of Old Barnstaple Town. And if this has whetted your appetite you can get more information from the Tourist Information Centre, 36 Boutport Street, Barnstaple. Tel: 01271 375000.

It's a great place to live - I love it.

If you would like to extol the virtues of your Home Town drop us a line and tell us why.
E-mail us atdevon.online@bbc.co.uk