The Park Hotel

The Park Hotel stands on Taw Vale in Barnstaple, opposite Rock Park and a walk from the town's Pannier Market and the River Taw. The hotel has 49 rooms and has served as the traditional headquarters of the family-run Brend Hotels group since the company's early years.

Food runs through the Seasons Brasserie, which holds an AA Rosette, with lighter meals and afternoon tea available in the Seasons Bar & Lounge. Some tables look out over Rock Park itself, and the brasserie's menu changes with the seasons.

Barnstaple's North Devon setting puts Croyde, Saunton and Woolacombe within driving distance for a beach day, and the Barnstaple Carnival fills the town centre each year. Pannier Market itself dates back to Victorian Barnstaple and still runs several days a week, and the Tarka Trail cycle path follows the old railway line along the River Taw close to the hotel.

**Best for:** Guests wanting a central Barnstaple hotel with a proper restaurant and easy access to North Devon's beaches by car.

**Less good for:** Anyone expecting to walk to the coast - the nearest beaches are a drive, not a stroll.