A PLACE WORTH KNOWING
A wide-open coastal wander with a café finish
Dunes, grazing grassland and the pebble ridge, with a dog-friendly café beside the visitor centre.
Northam Burrows has the spacious feeling of a proper coastal escape, with dunes, salt marsh and grazed grassland beside the Taw and Torridge estuary. The pebble ridge separates the common from Westward Ho!’s beach, giving a simple wander plenty to look at. Make the visitor centre your meeting point and leave room for a café stop: Pebble Ridge Kitchen sits beside it, with an outdoor terrace and something to eat or drink after your walk. The landscape is open to pedestrians throughout the year, while the centre, vehicle gates and café each have their own timetable. Check those details before choosing your arrival time.
The lovely little details
- Pedestrian access all year.
- Café beside the visitor centre.
- Seasonal vehicle toll and gate hours.
SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT FOR
A pause on the terrace
The café’s outdoor seating gives the walk a relaxed finish; its owners describe meals, cake and ice cream beside the dunes.
From the venueTHE USEFUL LITTLE DETAILS
Make a little plan.
Find them here
The Burrows Centre and Pebble Ridge Kitchen, Sandymere Road, Northam, Bideford, Devon, EX39 1XS
Open directionsGetting there
For the centre, approach by Sandymere Road through Northam. Other park entrances are at Pebbleridge Road and the Tip Road; agree a meeting point.
Before you set off
No booking for a general park visit. Contact the café on 01237 424138 for current service or group enquiries.
Café hours
The café currently advertises 9am–4pm daily, except Christmas Day and storms. Food pauses 11:30am–noon; last orders 3:30pm.
Check the detailsVehicle access
Gates: 7am–10pm March–October; 7am–6pm November–February. The advertised vehicle-toll season runs 3 April–1 November.
Check the detailsCentre and toilets
The exhibition/shop season is 3 April–1 November, 10am–5pm. Public toilets operate year round.
Check the detailsNatural surfaces
Grass, dunes and the pebble crossing can be uneven. For ramped beach access use the Westward Ho! slipway.
Check the detailsBringing a dog
The café welcomes dogs. On the Burrows respect grazing animals and wildlife; beach restrictions apply in the designated zone May–September.
Check the detailsDetails checked 25 October 2026. Opening times, menus and access arrangements can change; confirm anything essential directly before travelling.
About this feature & our sources
This is an editorial discovery, researched from the venue’s own information and any visitor sources linked here. It is not a paid partnership or a first-hand review. Individual visitor tips reflect that person’s experience; they are not a live rating or a promise about your visit.
- Torridge Council · country park ↗
- Torridge Council · access, tolls and facilities ↗
- Torridge Council · dogs and beach zones ↗
- Pebble Ridge Kitchen · current hours and contact ↗
- Café operator · Pebble Ridge Kitchen ↗
Each photo has its own source and credit in the gallery. Spotted something that needs updating? Let us know.
