Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon.

In the 16th century Bideford was Britain's third largest port. It was rumoured that Sir Walter Raleigh landed the first shipment of tobacco there, although this is a myth, as Raleigh was not, contrary to popular belief, the first to bring tobacco to England. In honour of Raleigh, several roads and a hill have been named after him.

Today the narrow town centre streets lead down to a tree-lined quay, which bustles with fishing vessels, cargo and pleasure boats.

The quay was refurbished, with completion in 2006, to provide flood defence and also to incorporate large fountains and modern public toilets.

This area of North Devon was home to the author Charles Kingsley, and is where he based his novel Westward Ho!. A small seaside town, named after the book, was built after the book's publication. Westward Ho!, which is the only town in the United Kingdom that officially contains an exclamation mark in its name, is approximately 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Bideford. A statue has been erected in honour of Kingsley by the town park's car park.

The city of Biddeford, Maine, USA, was named after the English town, adding the letter "d" in the process. Also, the town of Bideford in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada, is named after the English town.

Bideford is renowned for its New Year's Eve celebrations, when thousands of people from surrounding towns, villages and around the world gather on the quay for revelries and a fireworks display.