Barnstaple railway station This route was eventually extended to loop back to Okehampton via Torrington and Halwill Junction. The North Devon Railway was amalgamated into the London and South Western Railway on 1 January 1865. The station was enlarged and became known as Barnstaple Junction on 20 July 1874 when the railway opened the Ilfracombe branch line. The line crossed the river on a large bridge to a station at Barnstaple Quay which in turn was replaced by Barnstaple Town on an adjacent site in 1898 when the narrow gauge Lynton and Barnstaple Railway was opened. This station is now a smart school.
Barnstaple Long Bridge looked between 1796 and 1832. Traffic congestion was considerable on the bridge until, in May 2007, the Barnstaple Western Bypass was opened so traffic heading towards Braunton and Ilfracombe avoids travelling through the town centre over the ancient bridge. The bypass consists of of new road and a , five-span bridge. It was expected to have cost £42 million. In 2016 plans were announced to upgrade the bridge including widening of footpaths and the creation of cycle lanes. Long Bridge has 16 pointed masonry arches, varying in span from to giving a total length of . Barnstaple Long Bridge Barnstaple