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The Great Britain Guide

Towns & cities · South West England

Instow

Free admission

Instow — village in Devon, England, UK.

Instow, towns & cities in Devon

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
3 h–6 h
Nearest railway station
Barnstaple · 7.7 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

About

Instow is a town, city, village or settlement in the United Kingdom. Recent population estimates put it at around 660 people. Wikidata describes it as: "village in Devon, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.0500°, -4.1667°.

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Protected designations

  • Site of Special Scientific Interest: Taw-Torridge Estuary SSSI
  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: North Devon

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank to Appledore. There is an electoral ward with the same name. The ward's total population at the 2011 census was 1,501. There is a small river beach and sand dunes, that home some rare species of orchid including the pyramidal orchid. The Tarka Trail passes through Instow, providing an easy means for people to arrive on foot or by bike. This section of the Trail is also part of the South West Coast Path, offering longer walks along the coast. The village is served by the Church of St John the Baptist, which has 13th- or 14th-century origins and is a Grade I listed building. A chapel of ease, All Saints, was built in 1936 and is now also used as a community centre.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Instow is mentioned in the Domesday Book as having two ploughlands and 66 acre of meadow, pasture and woodland. The name of Instow derives from Anglo-Saxon of St John's Holy Place, which would have been Johnstow, or Jonestow. The suffix Stow, denotes a holy place in the Anglo-Saxon language, and the name is found in many places across Devon which had a church (Churchstow, Christow, Virginstow). The original settlement was on the high ground opposite the more modern site of the village low against the riverside. This is where the 14th century Church of St John the Baptist is located, near to the Instow Community Primary School. The parish was formerly in the hundred of Fremington, some 3 mi…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.0500, -4.1667
County
Devon
District
North Devon
Parish
Instow
Postcode
EX39 4LW
Parliamentary constituency
North Devon
Population
660
Nearest railway station
Barnstaple7.7 km
Official site
www.instow.net

Sources

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Nearby

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Instow?
Instow is in Devon, South-West England, United Kingdom (postcode EX39 4LW), in the parish of Instow.
Is Instow a protected site?
Yes — Instow is part of the Taw-Torridge Estuary SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the North Devon National Landscape (AONB).
Is Instow free to visit?
Yes, Instow is free to enter.
How do I get to Instow?
The nearest railway station is Barnstaple, about 7.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EX39 4LW.