Bideford Attractions

Some 9mi/14km southwest of Barnstaple is Bideford (pop. 13,000), an old seaport, situated on the estuary of the Torridge with a bridge composed of 24 arches. There are many handsome houses of the 17th, 18th and early 19th centuries; the Church of St Mary's is noted for its fine Norman font. On the picturesque quay, a relic of the time when Bideford carried on a thriving trade with America, there is a statue of Charles Kingsley (1819-75), who wrote his famous novel "Westward Ho!" in a house which is now part of the Royal Hotel.