After the Tarka Trail Railway Marathon: Instow and Appledore

The Route: Barnstaple → Instow → Appledore Logistics: A short drive or cycle; both villages sit on the same estuary the marathon's own course follows. Duration: Day trip

Barnstaple ──(short drive/cycle)──> Instow ──> Appledore

Instow and Appledore, two small villages where the Taw and Torridge estuary meets the sea, offer a gentle continuation of the same waterway the marathon's own course runs alongside, now walked rather than raced. Both are low-effort stops suited to legs recovering from a flat but genuinely long out-and-back marathon.

Instow and Appledore

Instow's beach and dunes sit directly on the estuary, a flat, easy stretch for gentle walking. Appledore, a short ferry or drive further along, is a working fishing village with brightly painted houses and narrow streets, a pleasant, low-effort place to spend an afternoon.

Where to eat: Both villages have a handful of cafés and pubs overlooking the water, a straightforward option for lunch.

Getting Back

The return journey to Barnstaple by car or bike retraces the same estuary-side route.