Lynton and Lynmouth are two of the most dramatically situated towns in England. Lynmouth sits at sea level on a perfect harbour at the mouth of two rivers. Lynton perches 150 metres directly above on the top of the cliffs. Between them runs the remarkable cliff railway, and the sheer physical drama of the place makes an immediate impression on anyone arriving for the first time.
The railway itself is worth the trip alone. Built in 1890 and powered entirely by water, no engine, no electricity, just the weight of water in the cars’ tanks balancing against each other on the steep track, it is a genuine feat of Victorian engineering and one of the most enjoyable two-minute journeys in the country.
From Lynmouth, the harbour and the river walk up to Watersmeet are the main draws, along with the Flood Memorial Garden commemorating the devastating 1952 flash flood that killed 34 people and reshaped the town. From Lynton, the Valley of Rocks is a 20-minute walk west along the clifftops, one of the great free attractions in Exmoor, and the views from the main street on a clear day are remarkable.
The area is rich in literary associations: Coleridge, Wordsworth, Shelley and Gainsborough all spent time here, and the village earned its “Little Switzerland” nickname from Victorian you who found it reminiscent of an Alpine valley.
Lynton and Lynmouth are about 22 miles from Woolacombe. Allow a full day to do justice to the cliff railway, Valley of Rocks, Watersmeet and the harbour. This is North Devon at its most spectacularly scenic.
For those with time and energy, the Two Moors Way starts at Lynmouth and heads inland across Exmoor towards Dartmoor, giving a glimpse of the national park’s interior landscape from the very first miles. Even a short section of this route from the village gives a sense of how dramatically the landscape changes as you move away from the coast. The combination of harbour, cliff railway, valley walk and moorland edge makes Lynton and Lynmouth one of the most varied single-day destinations in Devon.
