Lynton

Coordinates: 51°13′49″N 3°50′11″W / 51.230396°N 3.836361°W / 51.230396; -3.836361

Lynton is a small town on the Exmoor coast in Devon, England standing on top of the cliffs above the picturesque harbour village of Lynmouth, to which it is connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. Lynton was once the terminus for the narrow-gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, which served both towns.

The two communities are governed at local level by Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council.

In Lynton is the Parish Church of St Mary, which stands overlooking the sea, surrounded by shops and hotels. The tower is mainly 13th century but the church itself has been enlarged and altered — most notably in 1741, when the nave was rebuilt, and later in Victorian times.

Many of the town's buildings were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century. The town hall was given to the town by Sir George Newnes, Bart., a major benefactor of the town; it was opened on 15 August 1900. He also gave the town the Congregational church on Lee Road.

Lynton and Barnstaple Railway

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway (L&B) opened as an independent railway in May 1898. It was a single track, 1 ft 11 ¹⁄₂ in (597 mm) narrow gauge railway and was slightly over 19 miles (31 km) long running through the rugged and picturesque area bordering Exmoor in North Devon, England. Although opened after the 1896 Light Railways Act came into force, it was authorised and constructed prior to that act. Therefore, as with all other railways, it was authorised under its own Act of Parliament and built to higher (and more costly) standards than similar railways of the time. In the United Kingdom it was notable as being the only narrow gauge line required to use main-line standard signalling. For a short period the line earned a modest return for shareholders, but for most of its life the L&B made a loss. In 1922 the L&B was taken over by the Southern Railway, and eventually closed in September 1935.

The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Association was formed in 1979; and a short section was reopened to passengers in 2004. This was extended in 2006; and the following year plans were announced to open 9 miles (14 km) of track, linking the station at Woody Bay to both Lynton (at a new terminus on an extension to the original line, closer to the town) and Blackmoor Gate, and to a new station at Wistlandpound Reservoir. The present track is now 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge.

Lynmouth

Lynmouth is a village in Devon, England, on the northern edge of Exmoor. The village straddles the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers, in a gorge 700 feet (210 m) below Lynton, which was the only place to expand to once Lynmouth became as built-up as possible. Both villages are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway which works two cable-connected cars on gravity, using water tanks.

The two villages are a civil parish governed by Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council. The parish boundaries extend southwards from the coast and includes hamlets such as Barbrook and small moorland settlements such as East Ilkerton, West Ilkerton and Shallowford.

The South West Coast Path and Tarka Trail pass through, and the Two Moors Way runs from Ivybridge in South Devon to Lynmouth; the Samaritans Way South West runs from Bristol to Lynton and the Coleridge Way from Nether Stowey to Lynmouth.

Lynmouth was described by Thomas Gainsborough, who honeymooned there with his bride Margaret Burr, as "the most delightful place for a landscape painter this country can boast".

Woody Bay

Woody Bay may refer to:

See also