ing ▁into ▁the ▁Br istol ▁Channel . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁it ▁was ▁lic ensed ▁to ▁export ▁w ool , ▁since ▁the ▁mer ch ants ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁been ▁declared ▁a ▁free ▁bor ough ▁in ▁Sax on ▁times . ▁This ▁brought ▁great ▁wealth ▁to ▁Bar n st ap le , ▁whose ▁town ▁centre ▁still ▁pres erves ▁a ▁medieval ▁layout ▁and ▁character . ▁Later ▁the ▁town ▁became ▁an ▁im porter ▁of ▁Irish ▁w ool , ▁but ▁its ▁har bour ▁s ilt ed ▁up , ▁and ▁it ▁developed ▁other ▁indust ries , ▁such ▁as ▁ship building , ▁found ries ▁and ▁saw m ills . ▁Its ▁Victor ian ▁market ▁surv ives , ▁with ▁its ▁high ▁glass ▁and ▁tim ber ▁roof ▁on ▁iron ▁columns . ▁Bar n st ap le ▁railway ▁station ▁is ▁the ▁termin us ▁of ▁a ▁branch ▁line ▁from ▁Ex eter , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁T ark a ▁Line . ▁ ▁The ▁parish ▁of ▁Bar n st ap le ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 4 , 0 3 3 ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁census . ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Bu ilt - Up ▁Area ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 2 , 4 1 1 ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁whilst ▁the ▁Bar n st ap le ▁Town ▁Area , ▁which ▁contains ▁satellite ▁settlement s ▁such ▁as ▁Bishop ' s ▁T aw ton , ▁F rem ington ▁and ▁Land key , ▁has ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 6 ,