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An afternoon in Lynmouth

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Last week, we took a trip down to Lynmouth for the afternoon. It was the antidote we needed to a very busy week. Although the sun was shining, there was still a chill in the air, so we wrapped up warm. We sat on the Esplanade for well over an hour watching people come and go. Some just enjoying the sights and sounds of the village, others who had been on one of the many local walks and were ending the day in Lynmouth and some enjoying delicious local fish and chips – the gulls hovering overhead, waiting for any leftovers. We noticed how vibrant the colours were, a real feast for the eyes. The fresh new green of the trees coming into leaf, the bluest of skies which was reflected onto the sea, the sun picking up the colours of the hills at Countisbury and Foreland. We came away feeling happy, relaxed and motivated. Just what the Dr ordered.

Visit Lynton & Lynmouth website

Lynmouth Harbour

Lynmouth Harbour

Lynmouth to Foreland

Lynmouth to Foreland

Lynton & Lynmouth

The area
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Lynton

Lynton

Known by the Victorians as Little Switzerland, the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth offer a unique visitor experience including a craft centre and cinema, many shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants.   They are linked by a cliff railway. Established in 1888, this water-powered lift takes passengers up and down the cliff between the towns. It uses no power other than water from the River Lyn to run it.

The Valley of Rocks

The area
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Valley of Rocks

Valley of Rocks

The Valley of Rocks is a dry valley that runs parallel to the coast about half a mile west of Lynton. It is noted for its herd of goats, its geology and its stunning views.

Watersmeet

The area
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Waterfall at Watersmeet

Waterfall at Watersmeet

Standing at Watersmeet some 2,300 years ago you would have seen smoke rising from the hilltops, a sign of people living close by. Two fortified farmsteads known as Myrtleberry North and South camp provided a protected home.

Thatched round houses were lived in by Iron Age people and their animals. The village would have been surrounded by ramparts and steep-sided hills. Whilst not much evidence remains, the views are stunning from these now-scheduled monuments and well worth the climb.

Watersmeet is surrounded by 2000 acres of estate and is a dramatic river gorge clothed with ancient woodlands. At the meeting place of the East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water stands Watersmeet House. Built in 1832 as a fishing and hunting lodge for Walter Stevenson Halliday, it is now a haven for many visitors. Originally a fishing lodge and romantic retreat, with connections to the romantic poets, since 1901 it has been a tea room. There are many paths leading along the riversides and up the valley sides to Lynmouth, Rockford and Countisbury.

Look out for otters, red deer, buzzards, dippers, herons and a variety of flowers and insects. You may spot the local whortleberry, a small bluish-black berry often used to make jam. Like a wild bilberry, it grows on shrubs from July to August.

A short walk upstream from Watersmeet House is Ash Bridge, a tranquil spot surrounded by crystal-clear waters and shady ancient woodland. Look out for dippers bobbing on the rocks, and if you’re lucky, the salmon that come here to breed.

For the more adventurous, canoeing is possible on the East Lyn River from Watersmeet House down to Lynmouth between 1 October and 31 March if there’s enough water.

The Lynton to Barnstaple Steam Railway

The area
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Lynton-Barnstaple Steam Railway

Lynton-Barnstaple Steam Railway

This narrow gauge railway, decommissioned in 1935, now has 2 miles of track between Woody Bay and Parracombe. Volunteers keep several authentic steam engines and rolling stock in working order so that visitors, can enjoy travelling in Edwardian style!

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