BARNSTAPLE

town (parish), North Devon district, administrative and historic county of Devon, England. It lies on the north bank of the Taw estuary, about 10 miles (16 km) from the Bristol Channel. The Taw is spanned by a 15th-century stone bridge (widened in 1796 and 1962). The town was walled in the early 12th century and incorporated in 1557. Barnstaple imported wool from Ireland, which, together with local wool, was made into cloth. Silting of the estuary led to the decline of the port, but the town revived in the railway age. Barnstaple has a few light industries, including pottery manufacture, mainly for the tourist trade, and serves as the main service centre of the district. Pop. (1991) 27,691.