Barnstaple Long Bridge

Medieval sixteen-arch bridge across the Taw, one of the longest in Devon

Barnstaple Long Bridge crosses the River Taw at the southern end of the town centre, a sixteen-arch medieval bridge that has been in continuous use since at least the 15th century. It is not particularly dramatic in appearance — subsequent widening has blunted the medieval character — but the scale is impressive, and the view from the bridge over the tidal Taw estuary gives a clear sense of why this location developed as a trading port.

The bridge connects the town centre to the railway station and to the Tarka Trail along the southern bank. Walking across it takes two minutes; looking down into the estuary as the tide rises or falls is its own quiet pleasure. Wading birds work the mudflats at low tide. The Long Bridge is best seen from the embankment path to the east, which gives an unobstructed view of the full arch sequence.

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A story
The bridge was first recorded in 1437, though there may have been an earlier structure on the same crossing. It was widened in the 19th century to accommodate increasing traffic and widened again in the 20th, which is why it looks somewhat bulkier than its medieval origins would suggest. The original roadway was just wide enough for two packhorses to pass.