Barnstaple

Town and port in Devon, England, 96 km/60 mi northwest of Exeter; population (2001) 30,800. It is situated 10 km/6 mi from the mouth of the River Taw, and has a tidal harbour; the Taw is crossed by a 12th-century bridge with 16 arches. Barnstaple is the centre for agriculture, commerce, administration, and tourism in north Devon. Lace, gloves, furniture, and pottery are also manufactured here.

Barnstaple has a 14th-century parish church, a castle mound, and a grammar school, endowed in 1649, which occupies part of a ruined monastery. The poet John Gay was educated at the school.