North Devon
North Devon – with its outstanding coast, glorious moorland, plunging wooded valleys and remote, unchanging rural landscapes inland - has so much to offer the visitor, no matter what type of holiday you are looking for. On the coast you will find miles of sandy beaches at places like Woolacombe and Croyde, and some of the finest surf in Britain (whether you’re a beginner or a pro), interspersed by long and lonely stretches of dramatic soaring cliffs and rugged headlands, with the South West Coast Path running all the way along the coast, guaranteeing some exhilarating walking . The beautiful wooded valleys and winding rivers of Exmoor National Park add a softer touch to the landscape around the fringes of the high bare moorland, whilst the lively coastal towns in the area – Lynton, Ilfracombe, Barnstaple and Bideford - bring a bit of seaside sparkle. Inland, there are historic market towns and hidden villages in the lovely unspoilt valleys of the Taw and the Torridge.

Lynton, Lynmouth and Foreland Point
On the northern edge of Exmoor National Park, where it meets the sea on an extraordinarily beautiful stretch of coast, are the dramatically picturesque little towns of Lynton and Lynmouth. The Trust cares for much of the coast to the east, and the wooded valleys inland. The towns grew up around the gorge formed by the deep wooded river valleys of the East and West Lyn – which have their origins in a maze of streams and rushing rivers high up on Exmoor - as they reach the sea. Lynmouth, with an attractive harbour and shingle beach, is 500ft below Lynton, and the two are connected by a famous and ingenious cliff railway opened in 1890. The Victorians ‘discovered’ Lynton and Lynmouth and they became popular genteel holiday resorts; their quiet charm and dramatic setting led to the area being known as England’s ‘Little Switzerland’. Just inland, is the Trust's Watersmeet House with a shop, information centere and historic tea-garden, in a romantic spot deep in the wooded valley of the East Lyn. Also within easy reach is Arlington Court: a beautiful estate, house, garden and carriage museum. The magnificent Dunster Castle is just over the border in Somerset.

National Trust places nearby: Watersmeet, Arlington Court, Countisbury, West Exmoor Coast, Dunkery Beacon, Holnicote Estate. Shop and pub: Lynton and Lynmouth 2½ miles. Pub opposite Countisbury Hill Cottage. Tea-room/café/restaurant: Lynton and Lynmouth 2½ miles. Beach: Lynmouth 2½ miles. Other attractions: Minehead and West Somerset Steam railway 15 miles, Porlock and Porlock Weir 8 miles, open top double decker bus links Minehead to Lynmouth through the Exmoor National Park, South West Coast Path. Activities: walking, fishing, water sports, horse riding, cycling.

Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 180