Lynton is 500 ft above Lynmouth and the two towns are connected by the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. The railway is a ‘must see and do’ offering wonderful views over the bay. Lynton is an unspoilt village with some excellent independent shops and an impressive town hall.
Lynmouth is at sea level with a small harbour and Rhenish Tower dominating the harbour wall. The High Street is pedestrian-only with some fascinating shops to enjoy. The Exmoor National Park Visitor Centre is next to the cliff railway and has interactive displays, lots of information and a small theatre showing videos of Exmoor.
The two wooded combes of the East and West Lyn rivers meet at Lynmouth and cross the stoney beach to the sea.
Just down the coast lies the Valley of Rocks, fascinating U-shaped dry valley that is parallel to the sea. It lies about ½ mile to the west of Lynton and is part of the South West Coast Path. It is well known for its feral goats that roam freely and often quite hair-raisingly on the jagged cliff edges! There is a tea room serving a range of refreshments and a picnic area. It is also home to probably the most idyllic setting for a cricket club ground.
Watersmeet House is a former fishing lodge located in Lynmouth and used today as an information centre, tea room and shop by the National Trust, who have owned it since 1996. The fishing lodge, which dates from approximately 1832, stands at the bottom of a deep gorge at the confluence of the East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water. The site has been a tea garden since 1901. Watersmeet House is the starting-off point for some 40 miles (approximately 65 km) of woodland, streamside and seaside walks.