Barnstaple is a large town in the county of Devon with a population of approximately thirty four thousand people. The town has claimed to be the oldest borough in the country. The town is located sixty eight miles to the west of Bristol and about fifty miles north of Plymouth. The county town, Exeter is 34 miles away.
Throughout the last two centuries, the town’s population has grown dramatically, being originally well under four thousand in the beginning of the nineteenth century. The town now comprises a number of villages which originally lay outside of the town limits. The town is now linked with the M5 motorway which is about forty miles away due east.
The town has a very busy shopping scene now, being the main commercial area for the north part of Devon. One of the better known and more historic of a shopping areas is Butchers Row, a row of about ten shops with overhanging roofs, slightly like an undercover market. It was constructed in 1855. Built in about the same time was the Pannier Market which is still a very popular and busy market. It is even been voted by a British newspaper as one of the best food market in the country.
The town has won a number of awards throughout its recent history. Today it is famous for its fair which has survived for centuries. This verb begins every Wednesday before the twentieth of September annually and offers a number of amusements and entertainment venues situated in the car park of a local leisure centre.
The town has a busy railway station and is well connected to a number of roads, including the motorway. National Express also runs a number of coaches as do some other companies in the area. The nearest airport is that of Exeter.