Barnstaple and the Strand

Barnstaple is the oldest borough in the country and is the commercial and agricultural centre of North Devon.  It lies in the valley of the River Taw, seven miles from the mouth of the river at its bridging point.  Saxons first settled in Barnstaple (Barum) over 1000 years ago and became a Saxon stronghold serving as a market for the surrounding countryside.  Later, in Elizabethan times it became an important port serving the local pottery and textile industries. 

There are many examples of historic buildings and fine architecture to be seen in the centre of Barnstaple.  They include; the Penrose Almshouses (1627) in Lichdon Street; Butchers Row, originally built to house the town's 33 butchers in separate ‘lock up’ units; the Pannier Market (1855); and Queen Anne's Walk (1796) on the Strand in which is now housed the Town’s Heritage Centre.

It is on the Strand that the restaurant James Duckett at the Old Custom House is located.  Parts of the building predates Queen Anne’s Walk by some 200 years making it the oldest building on the Strand and one of the oldest buildings in the Town.

The photograph left shows the Strand, Heritage Centre and, in the left distance, Barnstaple's new downstream bridge across the River Taw, as seen from the Restaurant.