West Country Tour … Lynton and Lynmouth, as too Exmoor … part 15 …

Lynton was the original ‘town’ on the steep hillsides of the Lyn valleys – the two rivers that cascaded down the gorge meeting at Lynmouth … we too made the dramatic descent.

Lyn River

A lot of stories emanate from these villages or the hinterland of the North Devon coast … where Exmoor finally reaches the sea.  We had a quick wander around … and certainly it is a place I’d love to return to, to see and learn some more.

Lovely twisty narrow Devon lane

As with Hartland Quay, Clovelly, Ilfracombe and now Lynmouth, Porlock and Watchet … those tiny harbours were no match for the storm winds … but lifeboat men will not give up …

Representation of boat being hauled
up the hill(s) 

… the heroic rescue of “the Louisa” in January 1899 … the lifeboat men hauled the Lynmouth lifeboat up and over the hills – and they are mean hills (even today!) … extraordinary effort to save 18 men … “The Strange and Heroic Journey of the Louisa” can be read here: well worth a read.

The caption states the photo was taken from the
Rising Sun and shows a Wolsey car stuck in the flood
... the visitor had come from Manchester (1952)

The Lynmouth flood of 1952 changed the village for ever … Exmoor was waterlogged … letting loose a wall of water and debris into the culverted river as it exited to the sea.  Disaster struck …

Showing where the two rivers met in 1952;
they now meet higher up the valley beyond the bridge;
the rivers are 3 times wider than they used to be.

… over 100 buildings were destroyed or damaged along with 28 of the 31 bridges, and 38 cars were washed out to sea.  34 people died, with a further 420 made homeless.  Similar events had been recorded at Lynmouth in 1607 and 1796.  But after this disaster in 1952, the village was rebuilt including diverting the river around the village.

There is a small museum dedicated to the disaster, as too a memorial garden at the place where a few houses were destroyed, but never rebuilt.

Showing the funicular

A cable-connected car, using a counterbalance system, on gravity, using water tanks … connects the two villages eliminating the walk up hill, or down steep hillsides.  The funicular opened in 1890, is 862 feet (263 m) long, operating on a 1 in 1.75 gradient track.

Lynmouth was described by Thomas Gainsborough (1727 – 1788) - artist, who honeymooned here with his bride, Margaret, as “the most delightful place for a landscape painter this country can boast”.

Looking back towards Lynton and Lynmouth

Apparently another honeymooner here in 1812 was the romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley with his 16 year old bride, Harriet - his first wife.

The South West Coast Path and Tarka Trail pass through, while three other trails start or terminate at Lynmouth:  Two Moors Way, the Samaritans Way South West, and the Coleridge Way.

Valley of the Rocks

In late 1797, Coleridge and Wordsworth visited the Valley of the Rocks – a dry valley running parallel to the coast – which is just to the west of Lynton.  R D Blackmore set part of Lorna Doone, first published in 1869, in the valley … some of the chapters being written in the Rising Sun – which we visit next time.

Castle Rock  - as seen by Southey

Robert Southey was a visitor in 1799 … describing the landscape as “covered with huge stones ... the very bones and skeletons of the earth; rock reeling upon rock, stone piled upon stone, a huge terrific mass”.

Eros Rock in the Lynton formation
with feral goat grazing

It is noted for its feral goats and for its geology (the Lynton Beds) … periglacial features are found here reflecting the limit of glaciation during the last ice age.

There’s a delightful Lynmouth/Exmoor National Park Centre open to events, talks for the community and visitors to explore and celebrate the fascinating heritage in the area.

Exmoor logo - they have endangered
Red Deer on the Moor

While we are here Exmoor deserves a mention … as our journey skirted round the Moor … but there are brilliant walks (on the moor and coastline), magnificent scenery, interesting geology, ancient woodland, heath and blanket mire (bog) … all of which provide different habitats for a variety of and some scarce flora and fauna.

Royal Forests across England 1327 - 1336

The National Park, so designated in 1954, is primarily an upland area with a dispersed population living mainly in small villages and hamlets.

Exmoor was a Royal Forest and hunting ground covering 18,810 acres (7,610 hectares) which was sold off in 1818 – more details can be found in Wiki.

Late October 2015 - rambling roses still
in flower and happily growing - shows us how
lucky we were with the weather.

Exmoor has evidence of human occupation from the Mesolithic era – about 8,000 years ago; there are over 800 miles of local paths; 267 square miles of wild landscape; and more than 5,000 species supported by the diverse range of habitat.


We needed more time to look a little closer, for the area boasts an impressive history that is not only diverse, but is surprising, fascinating and most of all - notable.


Hilary Melton-Butcher
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