A really enjoyable and interesting couple of hours. Not just maritime but also tells the stories of testing wartime equipment in the beach and also about the toilet!! Only £4 a visitor and they are dog friendly. Overall definitely recommend it. Staff are very friendly and knowledgeable

I really loved this place. The history of the area is amazing. The presentation is split up over the different rooms. It's not for everyone but I liked the old fashioned approach. It's all free and run by volunteers. Puts many council funded efforts to shame.

Best museum around. Friendly and talkative people run it and there's plenty to see and do including a moving model showing how ropes were made and another showing how to tie maritime knots. Dont miss out

Excellent museum, very informative, spent 2 hours in there. Didn't know that appledore and Bideford played such a big part in North American trade and exploration.

Superb insight into the maritime history of North Devon and Appledore in particular. Fantastic volunteers make your visit one to remember. A must do!

Fascinating place with incredibly helpful and friendly staff. You made us feel so welcome. A great set of rooms explaining the local maritime history.

Amazing little museum, packed with local maritime details all very well labelled. Lots of artifacts, labelled well. The volunteers had good knowledge as well. Well worth the walk up the hill.

Very good. A must if your interested in the marine history of Appledore. Lots to see.

What a lovely museum. Lots of information, pictures, models, tools, etc. relating to the significant maritime history of Appledore. From the Vikings to WWII and later. The exhibits are split into rooms, of which there are about 8. It's not a huge museum but, instead, it is small and friendly. And it is independent and self financing which is very laudable. When you are in Appledore, it's definitely worth a visit.

Lovely museum very interesting exhibits and a super friendly cat. Cosy ten pounds for my family to visit. Worth baring in mind they don't have change and would much sooner you pay by card.

Cute little museuem, definately worth a visit. Lots of little snippets of history in relation to appledore. Xx

I spent 2 hours here and enjoyed every minute. A well presented museum with amazing models (some working). Friendly and helpful staff made it a great place to visit.

Such an interesting place, brilliant way to learn more about Appledore. Friendly staff, great value for money. Great place for kids.

Excellent beach, very clean and a huge expanse of sand and sand dunes so there's plenty of room for everyone without being on top of one another. Plenty of parking and a nice gift shop and restaurant right on the beach slipway as well

A really beautiful beach and a must visit. We went in the evening around sunset and it was just lovely and great views. The sand is so soft, parking is right on the beach front too so easily accessible. The beach is really big so plenty of space for everybody to make sure it's not too crowded.

One of the best beaches in Devon! Great big flat beach, perform long dog walks!

I love walking the dogs along the beach, especially out of season during the week. On those occasions it is only dedicated dog walkers and surfers on the beach and you pretty much have it to yourself.

Dog friendly! Beautiful sandy beach that stretches 3 miles. Beach huts to rent, surfers, a cafe and an ice cream hut, rock pools. Car park you pay for when you leave. Easy access to the beach. So happy to find a dog friendly beach whilst on holiday!

Beautiful beach… great for dogs too. Sand dunes to explore and a vast beach to enjoy.

Large, dog friendly, sandy beach! Cafe and surf shop with picnic benches.

A wonderful wide open beach. great sense of space. This is a very exposed area so check the weather, dress accordingly and, if sunny, slap on the suncream and take plenty of water. At roughly 4 1/4 miles (a little under 7km) this is a beach for the hard core walker. (If looking to visit Crop Point at the furthest southern end then drive to the adjacent car park.) For a more relaxed day, just wander along the shallow slope to the sea. Alternatively, take the South West Coast Path from Croyde to enjoy the flora & fauna and panoramic views on the approach to Staunton Sands. Then take the open top bus back to Croyde. Avoid the north end of the beach in high season; the car park can get busy out of season too. For less crowds, go to Crow Point and walk north from there but take refreshments as there are no facilities at this end of the beach.

We got to the beach by walk. 40 min walk. We were not ready and/or dressed for that but didn't know we couldn't access by car. If you are not local you won't have a clue on what way to take (there are different routes) and even less how to go back as it is all hills and countryside, it all looks the same and there're 0 signs. We asked a very kind lady who kind of showed us the shortest way and we kept following her from the distance as we were stopping to take photos to the massively big cows in there. We did have fun after all and eventually got there and enjoyed the view.

Beautiful dog friendly beach. Stretches as far as the eye can see.

Lovely place to spend a few hours or an afternoon on a nice day. It was overcast, wet and windy the day we visited. The dunes and beach were lovely though, until the skies opened on us and we had to take refuge in the cafe ... which was very welcome. When parking, you should go into the beach store and pay . We didn't go up into the grassy dunes much, as the weather turned on us. It was an interesting visit and next time we're in the area (on a nice day) we'll visit again.

June 2022 - we got lost in the dunes so take care when parking your car and walking over the dunes to the beach! Wear the right shoes too. Fabulous place though

What a super beach. Views around the beach are spectacular. There are miles of golden sands. It's a great place for surfing. Dogs are allowed on the beach. It's good for families and children too. The cafe has a variety of food items at fair prices. We love going to this beach

We actually stayed in the holiday accommodation and used this beach every day. The most wonderful beach, dog friendly all year round. Very sandy so no need for water shoes, very shallow and the sea goes out a long way so check tide times before visiting. Good sand for sandcastle building. Think my dogs had the best holiday of their lives. Fabulous evening meal at the beachside Grill. Great ice cream shop. Outdoor showers and public toilet. Surf hire shop, we hired a couple of body boards, a first for me it was great fun. The hire process was really easy all through the website. There were also beach huts for hire but we did not need this. Would highly recommend for families with dogs such a lovely place.

Such a beautiful beach. I was able to swim as the water was warm. It has massive space for beach lovers. One of the best beaches in England. Will definitely come back for water sports.

Great dog friendly beach, great for walking, paddle boarding or sailing. Lots of great pubs to grab a bite to eat. See some amazing sunsets over the town of Appledore. Instow is a picturesque village situated on the estuary where the rivers Taw and Torridge meet. It commands panoramic views of the estuary, the sea and the surrounding countryside. The Instow Parish has around 800 households and a population of 660 in the 2021 census, of which an estimate of 580 live within the village, with a small number living in outlying farms and cottages. Developed in the early nineteenth century much of Instow has retained its character due to an enlightened policy of the Christie family who own Tapeley Park and a large part of the village. A major part of it is in a conservation area. Development of small groups of more modern housing has occurred in the last fifty years allowing a greater diversity of residents and many properties are second homes or holiday lets. For those who like to eat and drink Instow has many pubs, hotels and restaurants. From South to North, The Quay, The Commodore, Instow Arms, The Boathouse and the Wayfarer. There are also many Bed and Breakfasts and several homes are also Airbnb or available for short term letting. The village has a very well stocked deli shop (Johns) and Post Office on Marine Parade and a garage repair centre in Mollands yard near the Parish Hall. Situated between Barnstaple and Bideford it has all the advantages of village life but with excellent bus transport giving access to the facilities of large towns.

Simply beautiful, a place to relax, enjoy and discover!

Great little beach there are ice cream shops around and bars around it's also close to bidiford but however because of dog walkers watch out for any leftover dog poo we found 2 within 10 minutes of being at the beach

Quietly tucked away behind the main road, this little gem is a pleasure to visit. Dog friendly (and cat friendly in my case) for an evening stroll on the sand. My cat loves exploring there and getting lots of attention from unsuspecting passers by. The beach is spacious and doesn't get crowded during off peak times. The water is not for swimming in (unsafe due to sewage works nearby) but the scenery is breathtaking and the sunsets are glorious there. Pay and display carpark of ample size on site as well as a few local eateries and pubs just a 5 minute walk away. Stunning natural beauty.

On a sunny October afternoon and with the tide being out, we had a fantastic walk along the beach with everyone else and their dogs. Having visited many of the UK’s beaches, Thai was one of the most popular ones I’d ever been on. So lovely to see being dog friendly and the community presence made it feel extremely safe for all. Lovely alternate view of Appledore. Top Tip: if you like the look of the Boathouse bar and restaurant, then book in advance. Very popular, especially when the sun is out.

First beach i visited when i moved down. Love it special memories

It's a pleasant beach with the usual large pay and display car parking nearby. It's made a bit more interesting because of the view across the estuary. It's a good place to let your dogs run free and wild.

I love this beach. Its very much a dog beach. And its lovely to see all the dogs having so much fun.

Super friendly beach never too crowded....plenty of snacking dining options lining the long sea front. Locally run small supermarket/deli and shack selling beach goods at one end and oyster bar at the other. One hotel and four family friendly pubs.

Instow beach is a sandy, estuary beach which is easy to walk on. No swimming allowed. Dogs are allowed on the beach. Pay and park available.

Even if it's not recommended to enter the water it's still a nice dog friendly beach. Gorgeous sunsets over Appledore.

Instow Beach was beautiful. We took the dog for a walk along it in the evening. The tide was coming in slowly as the sun was setting. Plenty of people still out and about going for a walk with their dogs. It’s a very clean and tidy beach. Easily accessible and plenty of parking available along the road.

Take great care before booking this person. Communication is poor, and you may well lose your money. It took us at least four phone conversations to book our trip, and she insisted on full payment up front. On arrival at the jetty she announced that unless we could provide evidence that two of our party of four had taken a rapid antigen test, she would not take them. We had earlier told her that two of us were fully vaccinated, while the other two had one shot but would take the test, she agreed to this. Both were negative. We explained to her that even had we brought the devices with us, it would have meant nothing, as anyone could have taken them. In any event we would have been sitting, comfortably distanced from each other, wearing masks in an open boat on a windy day. Despite this she was extremely brusque and refused to refund our money. She eventually offered to take two of us but by this time we had no desire to spend any time with her. To date she is still refusing to refund our money.

We had a great time with Niki on the Jez-y-belle. My partner and I were just looking for a relaxing tour of the Estuary and Niki was more than happy to accommodate. She is also incredibly interesting to speak to and knows all there is to know about sailing. We will be back for the full sailing experience next time!

Appledore’s rudest woman? Make sure you’re not on Appledore slipway when this woman is about to launch. Even if there is more than twice the width needed for her to get her launch past, she’ll make a great big song and dance about it. Why anyone would want to spend 2 to 4 hours on a small boat with this person is beyond me.