2,507 active companies are registered in Barnstaple with Companies House. Out of 2,851 companies ever registered here, 212 are no longer active — a 88% survival rate. Business formation remains steady, with 45% of current companies established since 2020. Over half (52%) of active companies were formed since 2020, making this one of the UK's fastest-growing business locations. The most common industry sector is other letting and operating of own or leased real estate, with 118 companies. Barnstaple is home to 58 FCA-regulated firms and 45 registered charities. Companies here hold 82 government contracts worth £258.5M in total. The average company age is 10.4 years. The earliest company registration in Barnstaple dates back to 1911.
Source: Companies House register via UVAGATRON, September 2026
A diverse local economy with no single sector accounting for more than 15% of businesses.
The average active company in Barnstaple is 10.4 years old. There are 58 <Link href="/glossary/fca-financial-conduct-authority">FCA-regulated firms</Link> in the area. 45 registered charities operate locally.
Companies in Barnstaple have been awarded 82 government contracts with a combined value of £258.5M. See the Top Government Contractors report.
There are 2,507 active companies registered in Barnstaple, out of 2,851 total. 212 (7%) are no longer active.
The top industries in Barnstaple include Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate (118 companies), Residents property management (111 companies), Management consultancy activities other than financial management (99 companies).
45% of currently active companies in Barnstaple were incorporated since 2020, indicating strong recent growth.
Our database contains 17,676 data signals across 12 categories for active companies in Barnstaple. The largest category is Governance with 7,941 signals from 6 sources.
The oldest company registration in Barnstaple dates back to 1911, spanning over 115 years of business history.