Instow Information & Instow Links at HealthHaven.com

This article is about the village in North Devon. For the hamlet in Canada, see Instow, Saskatchewan.

Instow signal box December 2006

Instow railway station in 1969.

Instow is a village in north Devon, England. It is on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet, between the villages of Westleigh and Yelland and on the opposite bank of Appledore.

Instow has a famous railway signal box, managed by volunteers from the Bideford Railway Heritage Centre and a small river beach. Nearby are sand dunes, that home some rare species of orchid including the pyramid orchid.^[1]

The Tarka Trail passes through Instow, providing an easy means for people to arrive by foot or on bike. This section of the Trail is also part of the South West Coast Path, offering longer walks along the coast.

[edit] Beach

Panoramic View of Instow Beach

Instow Beach, overlooking River Torridge and Torridge Bridge

Instow Beach is used widely during summer months at the peak of the tourist season. The beach is suitable for families as it enjoys few waves because of the sandbanks at the mouth of the estuary cancelling out most of the ocean swell.

There are also a large number of boats anchored on the sand. Many are only accessible at low-tide or via a dinghy or what is locally known as a Tender. Over the past couple of year windsurfing and kite surfing have become popular, taking advantage of the open position and calm waters.Also canoes and kayaking up and down the rivers to Instow beach is becoming more and more popular.

[edit] Notable people

Ex cricket umpire David Shepherd is probably the most well-known person associated with Instow.^[2]

[edit] WWII bomb

In 2000, an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered near the dunes on Instow beach. The majority of the village was evacuated before bomb disposal experts safely detonated it.^{[citation needed]}