Butchers Row, Barnstaple, Devon, EX31 1SY
Barnstaple Pannier Market is one of the finest Victorian market buildings in the South West, and the weekly markets held within it are among the most enjoyable shopping experiences in North Devon. The building itself, a covered glass and ironwork hall built in 1855, is architecturally impressive, and the range of traders who fill it throughout the week makes every visit a slightly different experience.
The market operates Tuesday through Saturday, with each day having a slightly different character. Fresh produce, artisan food, vintage and antiques, local crafts, plants, clothing and household goods are all represented across the week, and the quality of the food offer in particular has improved greatly in recent years. The adjacent Butchers Row, a Victorian covered arcade, adds to the sense of a properly working traditional market town.
Barnstaple town centre surrounds the market with independent shops, excellent cafés and the Museum of North Devon immediately alongside. The Tarka Trail starts right at the edge of town, making a market visit and a short cycle a very natural combination.
The market is best experienced on a weekday morning when it is lively but not overwhelming. Saturday draws the largest crowds and the widest range of stalls. Barnstaple is about 12 miles from Woolacombe on the A361, a straightforward 20-minute drive.
Barnstaple has additional appeal as a market town beyond the Pannier Market itself. The Guildhall, the medieval bridge over the Taw, and the Museum of North Devon are all within a few minutes’ walk, and the independent shops along Boutport Street and the Arcade include some of the best bookshops and gift shops in North Devon. A Saturday morning combining the market, a coffee on the Square, and a browse through the town’s independent retailers makes for an entirely enjoyable half-day without any particular agenda.
