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Lynmouth
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Lynmouth
The area around the twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth is known as the Switzerland of England and once you nave seen it you'll understand why. This part of Exmoor is not to be missed, combining a delightful harbour and superb coastal scenery with wooded river valleys and moorland. The villages, on the A39, are across the Devon border. At the foot of the long and steep Countisbury Hill is Lynmouth, where the East and West Lyn rivers meet the sea. Two events at this tiny harbour village, which has seen much activity for many centuries, will forever have a place in history.
Rising Sun Lynmouth - Image used by kind permission of Chris Spracklen
Lynmouth is one of the prettiest fishing villages in Devon. Set at the mouth of the river Lyn at the bottom of wooded cliffs, much of which are owned by the National Trust. Several good walks lead from the village along the East Lyn and the SW coast path. Linked by the Cliff Railway to Lynton, a small town on top of the cliffs.
The Victorian railway is still in use and a must for any visitor. It is powered by water and has a gradient of 1:14 revealing spectacular views over the sea towards Wales as it climbs to the top. Other attractions include the Exmoor Brass Rubbing Centre and Craft Times incorporating a pottery. There are several shops and an art gallery to visit.
Tranquil Lynmouth Harbour 12th Oct 2009
© 2009 Mike Watson www.mike-watson.co.uk
The first came in 1898 when a ship was seen drifting off Porlock Weir. High seas made it impossible to launch the Lynmouth lifeboat, so it was decided to carry it up Countisbury Hill and down Porlock Hill. Twelve horses and scores of helpers joined the effort, many turning back on the way as they decided it could not be done. But by 6 the next morning they completed the journey and launched the lifeboat. On the way they had had to demolish walls, remove gates and cut down trees to widen the road enough to get the boat through. The story is retold in a special display at the Exmoor National Park's Information Centre in Lynmouth.
A view of Lynmouth
The second was the flood disaster of 1952 which remains etched in the minds of its survivors. The evening of August 15 saw a cloudburst which nad devastating effects. A month of heavy rain had already swollen water levels, and the sudden downfall turned streams into raging torrents. It has been estimated that enough water to supply the area for more than 100 years fell in that one night. By daylight, 34 people were dead and damage to property was immense. Historically Lynmouth was a herring fishing port, and what little growth there has been has come mainly from adapting fishermen's cottages and herring curing houses into hotels, guesthouses, restaurants or shops.
Much of the Lynmouth you see today - including the Rhenish Tower, Lynmouth Street bridge and the harbour wall - is a reconstruction of buildings and structures wrecked in a terrible flood in August 1952. As graphically depicted in the local museum.
Lynmouth itself is one of the most picturesque fishing villages on this beautiful unspoilt stretch of Devon"s rugged North coast. Quaint craft shops jostle for space along the busy waterfront with pretty tea rooms and friendly welcoming pubs.
Lynemouth Harbour
Lynmouth Quay and Pier were built in the 18th century for the,once very important, herring fishery. The machicolated tower at the end of the pier was added early in the19th century by General Rawdon. This tower isan imitation of the towers on the Rhine.
For centuries local fishermen brought big catches of herring into the harbour, until suddenly in 1797 the fish deserted the coast leaving the impoverished fishermen to turn to smuggling to supplement their incomes. Bounded by the Bristol Channel on one side, and Exmoor National Park on the other, Lynmouth offers unrivalled access to breathtaking coastal walks and drives. Views change constantly and are never less than dazzling. Lynton and Lynmouth are like twins, one village complementing the other.
Lynmouth is wedged between a steep cliff and the ocean on North Devon's coast, while Lynton looks down from the 500ft (152m) high clifftop on her twin. The views from either are glorious. You can see, on a clear day, across to the Welsh coast. But proximity is about all these twins have in common. Lynmouth is a traditional fishing village with stone houses, and Lynton is a Victorian-Edwardian village, many of its homes turned into seaside villas and hotels. Lynmouth was described by Thomas Gainsborough, who honeymooned there with his 16 year old bride Harriet Westbrook, as "the most delightful place for a landscape painter this country can boast".
Lynmouth harbour Renish Tower
This is the Famous Renish Tower. Built originally as a beacon to warn ships of the rocky coast line. It was altered to accommodate a water tank to feed Sea water to the Sea water Baths. Lynmouth's 14th century thatched smuggler's inn is now a hotel as is Tregonwell, a Victorian stone house built for a sea captain. Nearby an 1832 fishing lodge, Watersmeet House, nestles in a beautiful tree-lined gorge at the confluence of the East Lyn and Hoar Oak Water. Have a cup of tea at the National Trust teashop here, and amble on paths under green canopied skies.
Renish Tower and Lynmouth Harbour
The twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth are famous for some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Britain. Here the river mouth forms a tiny harbour which is overlooked by the famous Rhenish Tower. Scene of the tragic floods in 1952, Lynmouth has been rebuilt and attracts many visitors. Half a mile to the east the famous beauty spot of Watersmeet is where the East Lyn River meets the Hoaroak Water in a wooded gorge.
On the hill above Lynmouth stands Lynton with dramatic views over the Bristol Channel. It is connected with the ancient fishing village of Lynmouth and the beach below by a cliff railway which opened in 1890. The spectacular Valley of Rocks is one of the show pieces of the Exmoor National Park. This cliff-top valley to the west of Lynton is dominated by jagged granite outcrops such as the towering Castle Rock and the picturesquely named Devil's Cheese-wring and Ragged Jack.
The Rhenish Tower at Lynmouth
Lynton and Lynemouth owe their popularity as tourist destinations to Napoleon. Denied their usual continental holiday haunts because of the Napoleonic Wars, Britains sought out homegrown spots and found dramatic cliffs and coastlines here. The poet, Shelley, stayed here for several months with his bride and named the area, "Little Switzerland". Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are other literary figures who found the area amenable for writing. It is said Samuel Taylor Coleridge was inspired to write "The Ancient Mariner" after viewing Lynmouth's harbour.
Riverside Road, Lynmouth
Lynmouth Harbour
Lynmouth, where the East and West Lyn river meet, found fame following the 1952 flooding disaster. The Cliff Railway a funicular, also called funicular railway or inclined railway, which connects to Lyntonis a popular attraction. Lynmouth harbour inspired Samuel Taylor Coleridge's "The Ancient Mariner". Known as England's Little Switzerland, are made of two deep wooded valleys carved out by the East and West Lyn river which give Lynton& Lynmouth its spectacular scenery.
The twin villages of Lynton and Lynmouth have a magnificent setting on the Exmoor Coast. Lynton is an attractive village with a museum and a wide choice of bustling restaurants, cafes, teashops and places where arts and crafts can be purchased. The imposing Town Hall is the venue for films, drama and exhibitions and the home of the Tourist Information Centre. Six hundred feet below Lynton is the harbour of Lynmouth linked by the famous cliff railway. Reminders of the disastrous floods in 1952 can be found in an exhibition in the Memorial Hall. The West and East Lyn rivers combine to flow into the sea at Lynmouth Harbour. Boat trips and sea fishing excursions are among the many attractions of this delightful village.
The spectacular deciduous tree covered slopes behind Lynmouth
The coastline near Lynton and Lynmouth has some wonderful features including the Valley of the Rocks where wild goats may be seen high up on the cliffs. The Glen Lyn Gorge and Watersmeet are beautiful. One of Exmoor's most popular places to stay, Lynmouth was hit by a tragic flood in 1952. It's lovely setting includes a harbour with sea fishing trips while the Cliff Railway operated by water power links it with Lynton 150 yards up a steep incline. The Exmoor National Park Visitor Centre on the Esplanade not only provides useful information but tells the story of the famous rescue in 1897 when the lifeboat Louisa was hauled overland to Porlock Weir. There are lovely walks along the West Lyn river Gorge or East Lyn to Watersmeet. There is also an excellent choice of places to stay and eat. Great attractions include the Exmoor Brass Rubbing Centre, the coastal path to Foreland Point and the Lighthouse.
Lynmouth Devon - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Lynmouth Hill Devon - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Lynmouth Pier Devon - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Lynmouth is a village , located on the northern edge of Exmoor, at the confluence of the West Lyn river and East Lyn rivers. It was described by Thomas Gainsborough (Thomas Gainsborough: English portrait and landscape painter (1727-1788)) , who honeymooned there with his 16 year old bride Harriet "the most delightful place for a landscape painter this country can boast".
Lynmouth's men performed a heroic task in 1899 when they hauled a lifeboat 13 miles over land to Porlock to rescue the crew of The Forrest Hall, a ship foundering in the bad weather and stormy seas that prohibited the lifeboat launch at Lynmouth Tragedy struck Lynmouth in 1952. The rivers East and West Lyn river flow to the sea in a deep cleft between the cliffs, and that was the starting point for disaster when flood swollen waters swept through the village of Lynmouth, hurtling mud and 40,000 tons of boulders and tree trunks on the unsuspecting inhabitants. Homes, roads and bridges were destroyed. Thirty-four people met a sad end - see The Lynmouth Flood Disaster
Lynmouth and Lynton, on a heritage coast, are part of Exmoor National Park. Hikers can walk the Southwest Coast Path, which passes through the villages, from Minehead in the east to Combe Martin in the west. Dramatic moorland covered with purple heather and yellow gorse vies for attention with rugged rocky coves demanding exploration. Nearby, buzzards and red deer hint at the wildness of the area. And stories such as Lorna Doone, of infamous fictional fame, set amidst the countryside, add to the legends of this land.
One mile (2km) to the west (you can walk it along the North Cliff Walk) is the Valley of The Rocks, a natural gorge between two ridges of hills. Here sandstone and shale fought unsuccessfully with the wind, and the result is such aptly named rocks as "Devil's Cheeswring" and "Ragged Jack". The rocks are playthings for wild mountain goats. This wild and beautiful land of surging seas, towering cliffs, rocky headlands and wooded ravines plays reluctant host to man in scenic settings like Lynmouth and Lynton. Shelley's hotel. The poet Shelley honeymooned here at the age of 20 with his 16year old bride Harriet Westbrook and his entourage in 1812.
Lynmouth Harbour
Lynmouth Gorge
The name Lynmouuth is thought to derive from the Anglo-Saxon hlynn meaning torrent giving Lynmouth the literal name of 'town on the torrent'
'Lyn' is from the Old English 'hlynn', meaning a torrent, very appropriate for the East and West Lyn rivers which give their name.to the two towns still widely remembered for a flood tragedy of incredible summer rains in 1952 - 300 million gallons (1,400,000,000 litres) of rain fell on The Chains, a marshy watershed above Linton and Lynmouth, within five hours. The soil was already saturated with previous rainfall: the result was a heavy loss of life and devastation to property in Lynmouth. Perhaps one of the nicest approaches to Lynmouth, if you can arrange it, is on foot from Watersmeet (park at OS map grid reference 740477) down the left bank of the river. This is an absolute joy, bringing the walker to Lynmouth and the sea. There are pleasant shops, inns and cafes here, and also the famous waterpowered Cliff Railway which plies between Lynmouth and the sister town of Lynton (where there is an interesting museum and many other facilities for visitors).
Lynmouth Harbour - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
The Rhenish Tower at Lynmouth
At Lynmouth the replica of a Rhenish tower on the solid stone jetty attracts great interest. Built by General Rawdon, it is an imitation of a tower on the Rhine and was intended as a beacon light for mariners and fishermen. At one time a prosperous herring fishing fleet worked out of Lynmouth, but numbers of herring around the coast have long since dwindled.
Marine Current Turbines was fomed to develop technology for exploiting flowing water in general and tidal streams in particular, the first phase of this ambitious project has commenced with the installation of a 300kW single 11m diameter rotor off Lynmouth Bay.
Lynmouth is probably the busiest attraction in the National Park, but the tourism is seasonal and winter is quiet. Its attraction derives chiefly from its spectacular setting at the mouths of the wooded gorges of the East and West Lyn rivers, hemmed in by gigantic cliffs. Few sit on the pebbly beach but jet skiing, boat trips and surfing are popular when conditions are favourable. There are many gift shops and eating places, a National Park Centre, two museums to the 1952 flood disaster which made the village famous, and the equally famous Cliff Railway to Lynton
Hotel Lynmouth 1921 - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Hotel Lynmouth 1921 - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Lynmouth: cove village, semi-circled by beautiful oak-and-hazel wooded hillsides. From valleys through these rush two bouldered rivers (lovely walks beside) to join in the village and pour past its street of shops, pubs and pretty cottages to its harbour, rocky beach and sea. Flat seafront walk beside good public lawns/garden (putting, tennis); coastal boat trips. Steep winding road and a funicular railway connect with hill-topLynton(more shops, museum): the very spectacular Valley of the Rocks begins on Lynton’s edge. Marvellous walking country, valley or hill-top. For beaches,Woolacombe(superb sand/surf), about 20 miles (decent road).
Lynmouth 1927 - photo presented with the kind permisssion of www.grumpystumpy.com
Beach Type: Pebbles/Rock - Dogs: Dogs allowed
The beach is situated along a straight section of coastline, and is backed by spectacular wooded hills and served by a unique cliff railway from Lynton. The beach is predominantly used by tourists and fishermen.
During the popular Victorian property and hotel boom, George Newnes decided to construct a holiday home on Hollerday Hill. He also installed the latest facilities in hydroelectric power, supplying the house with electricity through turbines. In 1983 this private hydroelectric system was restored, and now Lynton and Lynmouth have their own private electricity. They can sell surplus electricity to the national grid.
The Glen Lyn Gorge Power of Water exhibition, located 200 yards upstream from the harbour, is well worth a visit to find out more about hydro-electricity, and how it is produced for the village. The gorge is spectacular and there are beautiful woodland walks by the waterfalls. The kids get the chance to operate the giant water wheel and watch out for the big water cannons as well! The exhibition is open from Easter to Oct, and the Gorge and Hydro-electric centre is also open most winter days.
OS Grid Reference: SS7249
Contributed by: Cathy Yandle, Emma Briggs, Robert Tomkinson, Nigel Hawkes
