Editing Barnstaple (section)

{{Short description|Town in Devon, England}}
{{other uses}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox UK place
| static_image_name = Barnstaple (Devon, UK), Clock Tower -- 2013 -- 0986.jpg
| static_image_width = 240
| static_image_caption = Barnstaple Clock Tower
| static_image_2_name = Coat of arms of Barnstaple Town Council.svg
| static_image_2_caption = Coat of arms
| static_image_2_width= 80px
| country = England
| official_name = Barnstaple 
| coordinates = {{coord|51.08|-4.06|type:city(24000)_region:GB-DEV|display=inline,title}}
|population_ref           = 23,976 (Parish, 2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=Barnstaple parish |url=http://citypopulation.de/en/uk/southwestengland/admin/north_devon/E04012969__barnstaple/ |website=City Population |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref><br>{{nowrap|31,275 (Built up area, 2021)<ref>{{cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |website=Census 2021 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=8 August 2023}}</ref>}}
| civil_parish = Barnstaple
| shire_district = [[North Devon]]
| shire_county = [[Devon]]
| region = South West England
| post_town = BARNSTAPLE
| postcode_district = EX31, EX32
| postcode_area = EX
| dial_code = 01271
| os_grid_reference = SS5633
| constituency_westminster = [[North Devon (UK Parliament constituency)|North Devon]]
}}
'''Barnstaple''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=Barnstaplepronunciation.ogg|ˈ|b|ɑr|n|s|t|ə|b|əl}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|ɑr|n|s|t|ə|p|əl}}<ref>G. E. Pointon, ed. (1983) ''BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names''; 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; p. 18 (latter pronunciation)</ref>) is a river-port town and [[civil parish]] in the [[North Devon]] district of [[Devon]], England. The town lies at the [[River Taw]]'s [[lowest crossing point]] before the [[Bristol Channel]]. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from which it earned great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, but its harbour silted up and other trades developed such as shipbuilding, foundries and sawmills. A Victorian market building survives, with a high glass and timber roof on iron columns.