| Tarka Leisure Centre | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Barnstaple |
| Country | UK |
| Coordinates | 51°4′19.93″N4°3′25.65″W / 51.0722028°N 4.0571250°W |
| Construction started | September 2020 |
| Opened | 24 June 2022 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architecture firm | Watson Batty Architects |
| Main contractor | Speller Metcalfe |
Tarka Leisure Centre is a leisure centre in Barnstaple, Devon, England.
Plans to close North Devon Leisure Centre and construct a new centre adjacent to the Tarka Tennis site were abandoned in February 2009 as they were deemed too expensive at the time. [1]
Construction on a replacement leisure centre finally began in September 2020. [2] The main contractor was Speller Metcalfe and the building was designed by Watson Batty Architects. [3] The building was built adjacent to the former Tennis Centre to form one large facility. [4] [5] North Devon Leisure Centre remained open until the completion of the new leisure centre. [6] The facility was opened on 24 June 2022 by Eddie the Eagle. [7]
The leisure centre contains a 25-metre (82-foot) swimming pool with eight lanes and a 20-metre (66-foot) swimming pool with four lanes. Both pools have a moveable floor. It also contains an "endless" indoor ski slope, the first of its type in Devon. Additionally, it contains sports halls, a gym, indoor and outdoor soft play areas, and a cafe. [8]
It is operated by Parkwood Leisure. [4]
Great Torrington is a market town in Devon, England. Parts of it are sited on high ground with steep drops down to the River Torridge below, with the lower-lying parts of the town prone to occasional flooding. Torrington is in the centre of Tarka Country, a landscape captured by Henry Williamson in his novel Tarka the Otter in 1927. Great Torrington has one of the most active volunteering communities in the United Kingdom.
Barnstaple 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.
The Snowdome is an indoor ski slope just off the A5 road in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. It opened in May 1994 and was the first full-sized recreational indoor ski slope in the UK.
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North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based just outside Barnstaple, the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth and South Molton along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.
Cranbourne is a city in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Casey local government area. Cranbourne recorded a population of 21,281 at the 2021 census.
The Tarka Line, also known as the North Devon Line, is a local railway line in Devon, England, linking the city of Exeter with the town of Barnstaple via a number of local villages, operated by Great Western Railway (GWR). The line opened in 1851 from Exeter to Crediton and in 1854 the line was completed through to Barnstaple. The line was taken over by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1865 and later became part of the Southern Railway and then British Rail. In 2001, following privatisation, Wessex Trains introduced the name Tarka Line after the eponymous character in Henry Williamson's book Tarka the Otter. The line was transferred to First Great Western in 2006.
The Tarka Trail is a series of footpaths and cyclepaths around north Devon, England that follow the route taken by the fictional Tarka the Otter in the book of that name. It covers a total of 180 miles (290 km) in a figure-of-eight route, centred on Barnstaple.
Crediton railway station is a railway station serving the town of Crediton in Devon, England. It is 7 miles 76 chains (12.8 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 179.25 from London Waterloo.
Portsmouth Arms railway station is a small wayside station in Devon. It is in the parish of Burrington but remote from any village so is named after the nearby 'Portsmouth Arms' pub. It is on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple, 29 miles 8 chains (46.8 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 200.5 from London Waterloo.
Kings Nympton railway station, also spelt King's Nympton, is a halt on the Tarka Line in North Devon, serving the civil parishes of Chulmleigh, Burrington and King's Nympton. The station is located at Fortescue Cross, a road junction on the A377, around 2+1⁄2 miles (4 km) from its namesake village. It is 26 miles 21 chains (42.3 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 197.75 from London Waterloo. The station and all trains are operated by Great Western Railway (GWR).
Lapford railway station is a rural station on the Tarka Line, serving the village of Lapford in Devon. It is 18 miles 35 chains (29.7 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 189.75 from London Waterloo.
Eggesford railway station is a rural station in Devon, England, serving Eggesford, the town of Chulmleigh and surrounding villages. Despite its name, the station is in the neighbouring civil parish of Chawleigh. It is on the Tarka Line to Barnstaple, 22 miles 27 chains (35.9 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 193.75 from London Waterloo.
Barnstaple railway station is the northern terminus of the Tarka Line and serves the town of Barnstaple, Devon. It is 39 miles 75 chains (64.3 km) from Exeter Central at milepost 211.25 from London Waterloo. It is managed by Great Western Railway, which also operates the train service.
The Adelaide Aquatic Centre is a complex of indoor heated swimming pools operated by the Adelaide City Council and located in the northernmost extent of the Adelaide Parklands in North Adelaide, Australia. It is located in the square of parkland bordered by Jeffcott Street, Barton Terrace West, Prospect Road and Fitzroy Terrace. There is a car park to the west whose entrance is off Jeffcott Street, but the entrance to the centre itself faces north, towards Fitzroy Terrace. The centre opened on 20 December 1969.
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The University of Cambridge Sports Centre is the University of Cambridge's main sporting facility.
The Tarka Valley Railway in Devon, England, is a heritage railway that plans to rebuild the Torrington to Bideford section of the Barnstaple to Halwill Junction railway line. So far a short demonstration line of 300 yd of track in the direction of Bideford plus a siding alongside the old coal dock have been re-laid. The railway has been fenced off from the Tarka Trail ensuring the safety of all involved. Restoration of various items of rolling stock is currently under way.
Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon is a local museum covering the history and culture of the North Devon area and which is located in The Square in Barnstaple in Devon. The displays range from prehistoric times to the Victorian era. The building and its garden railings beside the river front have been Grade II listed since 1988.