Devon


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why">WHY?</h2>



<p>Perched on the banks of the Taw and Torridge estuaries, Appledore remains firmly on our Best Places to Live for a third year, thanks to its candy-coloured cottages, thriving community and unspoilt waterside. Think Cornwall&#8217;s St Ives 50 years ago, and you get the idea. </p>



<p>Big things are afoot too: work on the £15m <a href="https://torridge.gov.uk/article/21990/Appledore-Clean-Maritime-Innovation-Centre" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre</a> has begun and is due to open in 2026, setting the village on course to become a world leader in marine tech and research, with strong links with both Exeter and Plymouth universities. Add in the village&#8217;s brilliant annual book festival, which brings well-known authors and academics to the town, the small but excellent range of pubs and eateries and proximity to the nearby characterful town of <a href="https://discoverbideford.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bideford</a>, and you have coastal living with brains and beauty. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EAT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/09/yard-appledore.jpg" alt="The Yard Appledore " class="wp-image-59056" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/09/yard-appledore.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/09/yard-appledore-800x600.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/09/yard-appledore-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/09/yard-appledore-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Yard</figcaption></figure>



<p>Four pubs in a population of under 3,000? That&#8217;s our kind of village! For a top-notch pub with rooms and truly local food, it&#8217;s hard to beat the waterside location of <a href="https://trgpub.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Royal George</a> on Irsha Street, run by an entrepreneurial family who spotted the area&#8217;s potential a few years back. <a href="https://pubchamp.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Champ</a> may not do food, but you&#8217;re welcome to take in your fish and chips (from The Royal Plaice), to enjoy a year-round roster of live music, plus there&#8217;s The Beaver and The Seagate. Family-run <a href="https://johnsofinstow.co.uk/locations/appledore/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Deli</a>, who own stores in both Appledore and Instow are Muddy Award winning for their produce and amazing cakes. </p>



<p>Take a quayside seat at <a href="https://www.flamefactory.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flame Factory</a> for home-cooked pizza and Taw Valley steaks and burgers (plus two modern apartments if you&#8217;re planning a recce); <a href="https://sites.google.com/theyardappledore.co.uk/theyardappledore/home">The Yard</a> (under new ownership) is a dog-friendly wine bar loved by Appledorians and holiday-makers, as is <a href="http://www.marketstkitchen.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Market Street Kitchen</a>, a cute café with a courtyard garden tucked behind the Quay. Buying a clotted cream ice-cream from the vintage <a href="http://hockingsicecream.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hocking&#8217;s Ice Cream</a> parked on the front is a must, as they&#8217;ve been making it since the 1930s, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thecoffeecabin_appledore/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Coffee Cabin</a> are known for their fab crab sandwiches – and they&#8217;ve won a Muddy Award three times.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SHOP</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="600" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/09/sandy-brown.jpg" alt="The Old Glove Factory Sandy Brown ceramics in Appledore " class="wp-image-80275" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/09/sandy-brown.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/09/sandy-brown-800x480.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/09/sandy-brown-768x461.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



<p>Appledore is famous for cobbled streets, gift shops and galleries of coast-inspired art, including the stylish gift shop, <a href="https://www.adoreofappledore.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A&#8217;dore</a>, plus <a href="https://sandybrownarts.co.uk/museum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Old Glove Factory</a> (above) for Sandy Brown&#8217;s seriously cool ceramics. Locals have a choice of nearby supermarkets, including Morrisons, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl, while for indie stores head to Bideford artisan butchers, <a href="https://artisanbutchers.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hiron &amp; Sons </a>, for pantry staples and veg and fruit box supplies at Northam&#8217;s <a href="https://marshford.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marshford Organics</a> and the online <a href="https://www.facebook.com/devonandcornwallfish/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Devon and Cornwall Fish Company</a> for local caught fish and shellfish (also at Appledore Dock). <a href="https://theappledorebakery.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore Bakery</a> is now also firmly established in their namesake village (as well as Bideford), offering sourdough and – reputedly – the world&#8217;s greatest cheese on toast.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-amp-wellbeing">HEALTH &amp; WELLBEING</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/10/EnglandSquash_Play2_14.jpg.jpg" alt="Atlantic Tacquet Centre Squash" class="wp-image-70031" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/10/EnglandSquash_Play2_14.jpg.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/10/EnglandSquash_Play2_14.jpg-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2023/10/EnglandSquash_Play2_14.jpg-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Atlantic Racquet Centre</figcaption></figure>



<p>If there&#8217;s a &#8220;downside&#8221; to living here, it&#8217;s that your landlubber friends will want to descend &#8211; lured by the beaches at Westward Ho!, or closer still, walkable Gray Sands. Adventure seekers can head to <a href="https://www.skernlodge.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skern Lodge</a>, for everything from archery and abseiling to surfing and kayaking. </p>



<p>Nature lovers will swoon over the 253 acres of marsh, dunes and grassland at nearby Northam Burrows Country Park, a designated SSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) and home to the country&#8217;s oldest golf course, the <a href="https://www.royalnorthdevongolfclub.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal North Devon Golf Club</a>. Over in Bideford, the <a href="https://www.atlanticracquetcentre.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atlantic Racquet Centre</a>, which a group of plucky locals raised money to create, is a popular hub for badminton, tennis and table tennis, along with a good gym and fitness classes. For cyclists, the 180-mile <a href="https://tarkatrail.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Tarka Trail&nbsp;</a>passes through Instow across the water.</p>



<p>Three local doctors&#8217; and surgeries are based in nearby Northam, with the nearest dentists at Bideford 10 mins away. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community">COMMUNITY</h2>



<p>Locals tell us the community vibe is strong, with far less second homes than nearby Instow and Croyde. There&#8217;s always lots going on, from live sessions at The Champ and with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/appledorevillage/?locale=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore Devon Village Facebook</a> the place to keep up. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/app.pirates?locale=en_GB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Appledore Pirates</a>, who raise money for local good causes are very active, organising well-supported local events, including the popular Appledore Carnival. <a href="https://www.appledoreinstowregatta.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Regatta</a> is a big day every August when families&#8217; rowing clubs come from across the South West for sailing, gig racing, a tug of war (by boat!) and a crabbing contest off the quay. How many can you catch in an hour? &#8211; and put back in again, of course.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEARBY ATTRACTIONS</h2>



<p>When the tide is in during the summer months you can catch the little <a href="https://www.appledoreinstowferry.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore-Instow Ferry</a> (very Captain Pugwash) across to the beach, pubs and John&#8217;s Deli at Instow. Kids are positively spoilt for choice with big theme parks including <a href="https://www.themilkyway.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Milky Way</a>, <a href="https://www.thebigsheep.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Big Sheep</a> and <a href="https://www.northdevonwakepark.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Devon Wake Park</a> on your doorstep. <a href="https://northdevonmaritimemuseum.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The North Devon Maritime Museum</a> is full of fascinating facts and memorabilia of the village&#8217;s nautical past. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CULTURE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="750" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford.jpg" alt="Burton at Bideford museum and gallery " class="wp-image-38850" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford-667x500.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2022/01/burton-bideford-700x525.jpg 700w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Burton at Bideford</figcaption></figure>



<p>The biggie is the word-famous <a href="https://www.appledorebookfestival.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore Book Festival</a> every September which attracts topnotch authors from all over.&nbsp;The <a href="https://www.burtonartgallery.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Burton at Bideford</a> punches above its size for attracting great exhibitors to its museum and gallery, with a new female director in post and footfall to rival that of Tate St Ives, and is home to an excellent French eatery, Café du Parc. <a href="https://www.thebigsheep.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Big Sheep</a> host big music gigs, family festivals, and year-round seasonal events. </p>



<p>For more live music, cinema, comedy and theatre, look to Barnstaple and <a href="https://www.queenstheatre-barnstaple.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen&#8217;s Theatre</a><a href="https://palladiumclub.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">, The Palladium</a> in Bideford and <a href="https://www.theploughartscentre.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Plough Arts Centre</a> at Great Torrington. The latter also runs a very good outdoor theatre programme at local venues. Nearby in the Torridge Valley is <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/garden-highlights" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RHS Garden Rosemoor</a>, known for its long borders, regular workshops and events, including their popular annual flower show and brilliant Christmas illuminations, RHS Glow.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-average-house-prices">AVERAGE HOUSE PRICES</h2>



<p>Expect to pay an average price of £398,333. Detached properties go for an average of £480,917, with semi-detached properties around £457,500. Look for homes in Appledore and Northam for waterside living, and Abbotsham for countryside &#8211; and the indie Thatched Inn pub. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOT PROPERTY</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/03/appledore-new.jpeg" alt="Does this colourful Irsha Street 3-bed cottage with views over to the estuary fit the bill? On the market for £575,000. Appledore Devon" class="wp-image-64582" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/03/appledore-new.jpeg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/03/appledore-new-800x533.jpeg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/03/appledore-new-1000x667.jpeg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/devon/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2024/03/appledore-new-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Does this colourful Irsha Street 3-bed cottage with views over to the estuary&nbsp;fit the bill? <a href="https://www.webbers.co.uk/property-for-sale/3-bedroom-house-for-sale-in-irsha-street-appledore-bideford-devon-ex39/6716/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">On the market for £575,000</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NURSERIES</h2>



<p>Early Years Foundation Stage at <a href="https://www.kingsleydevon.com/prep-school/early-years/welcome-to-early-years" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kingsley School </a>takes children from the age of 2 yrs. <a href="https://www.muddybootsdevon.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Muddy Boots </a>(too early for stilettos!) is a woodland-based Forest School with a focus on outdoor learning and after-school club for ages 2 – 8 yrs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCHOOLS</h2>



<p>Forward-thinking primary, <a href="https://www.appledore-primary.devon.sch.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Appledore School</a>, is rated Good by Oftsed, and is investing heavily in maritime tech and STEM so kids can access great jobs locally in the future. For secondary school age kids, <a href="https://www.bidefordcollege.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bideford College</a> rates as Good, with a brilliant educator for a head and a Sixth Form sending pupils to some good unis. For private, <a href="https://www.kingsleydevon.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kingsley School </a>comprises a prep, senior school and Sixth Form for day pupils and boarders from Y7.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BEST KEPT SECRET</h2>



<p>Jeremy Vine is a huge fan of the town, and also the patron of Appledore Book Festival (founded by the award-winning <em>Horrible Science</em> author Nick Arnold). At festival time, you might spot him in one of the local pubs, wearing his trademark tennis shoes and maybe a Joy Division tee. We hear he has been known to generously treat the locals to a round or two.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">COMMUTE</h2>



<p>When London-bound, most locals drive for an hour to Tiverton Parkway train station (39 miles way) to hop on direct trains to London (2 hrs 30 mins), or Exeter 15 mins in the other direction. Road links to Exeter are good and around an hour&#8217;s drive. </p>



<p><em>View the full&nbsp;<a href="https://muddystilettos.co.uk/best-places-to-live/">Top 260 Places to Live</a>.&nbsp;</em></p>


Appledore

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