Tarka Trail

180-mile walking and cycling trail named after Henry Williamson's otter novel

The Tarka Trail is a 180-mile walking and cycling route through North Devon, following the fictional territory of Tarka the Otter from Henry Williamson's 1927 novel. The trail forms a figure-of-eight loop, with Barnstaple roughly at the centre. The most popular section for cyclists runs along a converted railway trackbed from Barnstaple to Bideford (11 miles) and on to Meeth — a flat, traffic-free route that follows the Torridge estuary and is suitable for families and occasional cyclists.

On foot, the trail covers more varied terrain, including stretches of Exmoor and the coastal path. The section from Barnstaple north to Ilfracombe follows the Taw estuary and offers good birdwatching on the mudflats. Bikes can be hired at several points along the trail in Barnstaple town centre. The trail is waymarked with an otter print symbol. Maps and route information are available from Barnstaple's tourist information centre.

things to do sight
A story
Tarka the Otter, published in 1927, follows an otter from birth to death through the rivers and countryside of North Devon. Henry Williamson spent years walking the area before writing it, and the specific geography is precise — readers can follow the exact route of Tarka's life on a modern map. The book is considered one of the finest nature writing works in English. Williamson lived and wrote in North Devon for most of his adult life, in a cottage near Georgeham.