Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district. A ferry operates between Bideford quay and Lundy, which lies about 22 miles (35 km) away in the Bristol Channel. The same ship also provides evening cruises from Bideford along the River Torridge.
The River Torridge is spanned at Bideford by the 13th century Long Bridge, which has 24 arches all of different sizes.In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port. It was rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first shipment of tobacco there, although this is a myth, as Raleigh was not, contrary to popular belief, the first to bring tobacco to England. In honour of Raleigh, several roads and a hill have been named after him in Bideford.
Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats. Clay is the principal export loaded onto boats at Bideford.
Source : www.wikipedia.org.uk Local Attractions : Lundy Island : www.lundyisland.co.uk Hartland Abbey : www.hartlandabbey.com Dartington Crystal : www.dartington.co.uk