Delightful Lynmouth

We went to Lynmouth today, it’s a favouite place of ours for a day trip or afternoon tea and only takes twenty minutes to reach by car from Porlock.  Today we met a friend and her little boy for a play on the beach.  It was a gloriously sunny afternoon though the warm wind was brisk, so we hunted for shells on the leeward side of the harbor wall.  The tide was a long way out and the children thought it fun to see the boats perched on their keels.  We made an impressive shell collection, arranged artistically on a flat rock, and blew some bubbles that were whisked away on the breeze.  

Having filled our socks and shoes with sand very efficiently (and emptied them again), we headed to the Lynmouth Pavilion café.  It’s a brilliant place to relax with a cup of tea, the atmosphere is friendly, the seating area spacious and overlooks the sea, delicious fresh food, there’s toys for the children and there’s the added bonus of things to do at the Exmoor National Park Visitor Centre, which is downstairs (and the lift of course, which our pre-schoolers loved).  There’s also a great view of the Lynton / Lynmouth cliff railway, a wonderfully restored water-powered feature that connects the two towns and is very welcome too, the cliff is very tall and steep!  

Having recharged our batteries, we wandered along the seafront, popping into the shops that took our fancy.  We had to visit Caravel, which has toys a plenty.  My daughter was treated to a harmonica and she was so delighted with it, she played for the rest of the day (literally, even keeping it under her pillow at bedtime!).  We stopped to purchase a special shell for each of the children before heading home, my little musician playing to the sheep and Exmoor ponies that we passed on that incredibly scenic route from Lynmouth to Porlock.

If you visit Lynmouth and have more time, you could visit the Glen Lyn Gorge.  Here the power of water is showcased and what better place for that than the scene of such devastating floods in 1952.  It’s easy to find, just look for the huge water cannons from the A39 in the centre of Lynmouth.  A great place for all the family, you can visit waterfalls, make electricity, spin water wheels, fire the water cannons and discover whale bones, there’s even things to do  when it’s raining.  If you can’t walk very far but would like to see the waterfalls there is now step-free access and a Tramper mobility scooter, which is free for anyone to use whether registered disabled or not.  

If visiting in the evening head up to Lynton and, after an early dinner in one of the restaurants (go for The Oak Room and their scrummy tapas!) catch a film at Lynton Cinema.  It is such a treat to visit this unique cinema, which was created inside the grade II listed former Methodist Chapel .  It has only 68 seats but these are spacious and comfortable and, although perfectly quaint, it shows the latest releases.  Such a different experience from visiting the huge multiplexes elsewhere.  

What is your favourite thing to do in or near Porlock?  Let us know at [email protected].