What to do when you have only 1-day in Lynton & Lynmouth.

There are so many things to do it’s difficult to choose something without wondering if there was something better you could do. Here’s an idea for a perfect day in Lynton & Lynmouth.

After breakfast don your walking boots and head off to the Valley of Rocks.  Start your walk on a section of the South West Coastal Path at the end of North Walk. This is a well-cared for tarmac path that leads you directly into the valley.  On your walk along the coastal path enjoy the most spectacular and dramatic views of the Bristol Channel and South Wales.

Once in the Valley of Rocks take some time to explore the fascinating rock structures or just sit a relax and take in the views of one of Exmoor’s finest landscapes.  There’s a great café there called Mother Meldrum’s which is a great stop for refreshments and snacks. Further along the road is public toilet should you need to stop.

Head back to Lynton along the main road ‘Longmead’ to ‘Lee Road’. Once on Lee Road you will see Lyn Candles, Lynton’s very own candlestick maker!  This is where we buy our gorgeous smelling diffusers ‘Signature’.

Carry on walking along Lee Road, past the Post Office, Chemist and Costcutter supermarket.  Opposite Costcutter you will see an old church, this is the Lyn Valley Arts & Crafts Centre. It’s a real Aladdin’s cave of locally made jams, trinkets and treasures. Great for gifts!  Next to the Arts & Crafts Centre is the beautiful Town Hall, built by Sir George Newnes in 1900 and steeped in local history.  Here you will also find the Lynton & Lynmouth Tourist Information Centre.

Walking on from here, head to the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway, a near-vertical railway that connects the two towns. It’s the longest and steepest, water-powered funicular railway in the world and it’s great fun. Get on at the top, pay at the bottom and then head off to explore the quaint harbour town of Lynmouth.

Walk along the harbour front and enjoy some of the local shops and cafés including the Exmoor National Park Centre.  Here you can learn more about Exmoor’s diverse landscape and unique wildlife. Further on from here is the Lynmouth Flood Memorial, a permanent exhibition including a scale model of Lynmouth before the great flood of 1953.

For great places to eat try the Rising Sun or Bath Hotel, excellent food and drink.  Explore Lynmouth’s great trinket shops and art galleries before heading off to Watersmeet.

Walk along the cascading East Lyn River past waterfalls and rock pools under the leafy canopy of the valley.  Walk past the historic site of the Lynrock Mineral factory, long since washed away by the great flood.  Your destination along this river walk is the beautiful Watersmeet House, a National Trust property.  Here you can sit and enjoy refreshments whilst listening the sounds of the two great rivers crashing together.

Walk back through the leafy valley or choose the woodland walk high above the river and make your way back to Lynmouth, then back home to Lynton.  You can return via the Cliff Railway, or the ‘Zig Zag’ path which crosses over the Cliff Railway and offers great views of Lynmouth.

Once back at Highcliffe House get yourselves relaxed and refreshed ready for a delicious meal at one of the areas great places to eat. Our local choices in Lynton would be the Oak Room for delicious tapas, or the Cottage Inn for authentic Thai food.

Want to enjoy dinner in Lynmouth? Try the Rising Sun for delicious fine dining, or 7 the Bistro for a classic, romantic dining experience. If you’re looking for great pub food and don’t mind a short drive then the Fox & Goose at Parracombe is hard to beat.

Head back to Highcliffe House for a nightcap and some well-earned sleep in one of our gorgeous bedrooms!