North Devon Council lists these hackney carriage ranks in Barnstaple. They are in use 24
hours a day unless a time is shown.
- Barnstaple railway station: across the river from the town centre
- Tuly Street
- Holland Street
- Malletts Lane
- Queen Street
- Boutport Street: two ranks, one by Maiden Street and one by The Square
- Butchers Row: evenings only, 6pm to 4am
- Cross Street
The council reviewed its ranks in 2024 and 2025, and the Butchers Row rank was among
those proposed for removal. Before you rely on a particular rank, check the
council's taxi ranks page
for the current list.
When the rank is the quickest option
On a weekday afternoon in the town centre, a hackney carriage waiting at Boutport Street
or the station is often the fastest way to get going. There is nothing to arrange, and if
a car is there, you can leave straight away.
When it is better to book
A rank only works if a car is waiting at it. These are the times it most often is not:
- Closing time on Friday and Saturday nights, when the whole town wants to go home at once.
- The last trains of the evening, when there may be one car at the station and more passengers than seats. See our train station taxi page.
- Barnstaple Fair week in September and the run-up to Christmas, when demand across town is at its highest.
- Early mornings, before the ranks have filled, for a train, a flight or a shift.
- Anywhere outside the centre: there is no rank in Pilton, Forches or the villages, and a cab cannot be hailed on a lane in Landkey.
In each of those cases, a pre-booked car is waiting for you rather than you waiting for
it. That is the service our Barnstaple taxis provide, 24
hours a day, with the fare agreed before you travel.
Booking a private hire car instead
Book by phone, online or by WhatsApp and tell us where you are. In the town centre, give
us a street or a landmark, such as the Pannier Market, the Square or a named pub, rather
than "the rank", because a private hire car will not pull onto one. For a pickup after a
night out, booking your return when you book the trip out means the car is already
yours.
How to check a taxi is licensed
Every licensed taxi in North Devon, hackney or private hire, carries a council licence
plate on the vehicle, and every driver holds a council-issued badge. If a car pulls up
claiming to be your booking, check the name and the registration against what you were
given before you get in. A car without a plate is not a taxi, whatever it says on the
door.
