Tarka Trail - Barnstaple to Bideford

Essential Intel

This is a linear cycling mission that starts at Barnstaple Train Station and finishes in Bideford, rather than looping back to the start. Plan how your squad will return to Barnstaple before you set off.

The Trail is intended as a cycling route. A long walk is possible as an alternative, but the route runs for nine-mile and takes around 3 hours to complete.

Navigating The Route

This is a linear Spy Mission from Barnstaple to Bideford along the Tarka Trail, with Agents travelling undercover by bicycle from Barnstaple to Bideford to crack the clues, stop BRATS and save Bideford Bridge from Dr Mike Robe's weevil plot.

The operation runs for nine-mile and should take around 3 hours to complete. You'll start at Barnstaple Train Station, follow the estuary along well-maintained tarmac cycle paths, investigate Fremington Quay, cross carefully at the road junction at Instow, pass under two stone bridges and through a tunnel, then finish in Bideford.

This Trail is wheelchair accessible and pushchair accessible. The route is level and along well-maintained tarmac cycle paths, with a bit of off-road exploration needed at one picnic site.

Some paths are shared with pedestrians, so cyclists should use a bell and dismount through narrow passing places. Cross roads carefully using the crossings provided, and take extra care at the road junction at Instow.

Getting There

By car: Start your undercover operation at Barnstaple Train Station (EX31 2AU). Barnstaple Train Station car park is the recommended option, and there is a car park here for your undercover vehicle.

If the station car park is full, there are a few car parks nearby. Make sure they give you enough time to complete your mission and are not restricted to 'customers only'.

By public transport: The Trail starts at Barnstaple Train Station (EX31 2AU), so make your way there to begin the mission.

Need the Loo?

Agents can make comfort stops at Barnstaple Station and Fremington Quay, so plan your breaks around those points during the mission.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

If canine recruits are joining the squad, keep them close and under control along the way. 🐾

The route follows shared cycle paths and the estuary, with roads to cross, narrow passing places and a road junction at Instow. Be ready to pause where cyclists need to dismount, and keep furry sidekicks safely managed around pedestrians, bikes, traffic and the water.

Food & Drink Stops

Code-cracking burns through supplies, but there are plenty of chances to stock up on snacks at the start and end.

The Trail is great for picnics, and there is a picnic site with a shelter part way along the route - ideal for a mid-mission refuel before pushing on towards Bideford.

Want to Make a Day of It?

The Tarka Trail

The route itself has literary credentials as well as spy-worthy scenery. The Tarka Trail takes its name from Henry Williamson's classic novel 'Tarka the Otter', first published in 1927. The North Devon countryside formed the basis of the novel, and many of the locations remain largely unchanged today.

Fremington Quay Heritage Centre

Fremington Quay is a natural place to pause during the operation. Clues around the quay point to the heritage centre and the station building there, the area is one of the route's safe zones, and toilets are available nearby at Fremington Quay.

Braunton Burrows

Across the marshes of the estuary lies Braunton Burrows, designated by UNESCO as an International Biosphere Reserve and one of the first in the country. The dunes stretch along 6km of coastline and are one of the largest sand dune systems in the UK - impressive backup scenery for Agents tracking weevil-related villainy.

Bideford Bridge

Your mission target has plenty of history behind it. Bideford Bridge can date its origins back to 1280 AD, when a wooden packhorse bridge was built to replace a ford. It was rebuilt in stone during the 1500s, and the 24 arches were built as and when the funds were available, which is why the arch sizes vary. Bideford has long been a thriving port and market town steeped in maritime history, so it is well worth lingering once the case is cracked.