Watersmeet

There is a moment on the walk up from Lynmouth when the two rivers converge and the gorge opens ahead of you, and it never gets old regardless of how many times you have seen it. Watersmeet is one of the National Trust’s most-loved properties for good reason: a Victorian fishing lodge perched at the confluence of the East Lyn River and Hoaroak Water, deep in a wooded gorge that feels entirely removed from the modern world.

The lodge itself is now a National Trust café and shop, and it is a genuinely special place to stop for tea and cake. The setting is extraordinary: the river surges past on both sides, the oak and birch woodland rises steeply above, and on a warm day the dappled light through the canopy is enough to make you want to stay all afternoon.

From Watersmeet, waymarked trails fan out in several directions. You can walk up the East Lyn River to Rockford, continue to Brendon, or take the spectacular path along the top of the gorge for panoramic views across the North Devon and Exmoor coast. The 1.5-mile walk from Lynmouth village is the easiest approach, relatively flat, following the river upstream through the gorge, and it is perfectly manageable for most fitness levels.

In winter, after heavy rain, the rivers here are a dramatic spectacle, rushing brown and white through the rocky gorge. In summer the water is crystal clear and children love the shallower stretches above the lodge. The 1952 Lynmouth Flood was the most destructive flash flood in modern British history, and the gorge you walk through is the very landscape at the heart of that story.

Watersmeet is one of those National Trust properties that earns its reputation every single visit. The walk to get there is as rewarding as the destination itself, following the East Lyn River through a wooded gorge that feels genuinely remote despite its popularity. From Lynmouth, the path is well maintained and suitable for most walkers, though good footwear is always advisable. The cafe at the house serves reliably good food and is a welcome stop after the climb.

Watersmeet is about 22 miles from Woolacombe, easily combined with a visit to Lynton and Lynmouth.