Devon: Welcome to Lynmouth

On the second day we were set the task of taking a picture that could be used in a holiday brochure, to entice people to visit the area. I went into the nearby resort of Lynmouth. 

It is one of those timeless seaside resorts, still looking much as it did decades ago. It retains a small harbour (the tide was out) and a few fishing boats, a street of cafés, gift shops, galleries and a couple of old pubs. It is surrounded by small hotels, guest houses and holiday lets - a popular destination for families and retired people. 

Perhaps its most notable attraction is the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway (see left), a Victorian funicular (cable railway) - still working -  powered by water and gravity, which connects Lynmouth to its sister village of Lynton on the cliffs above. 

In 1952, Lynmouth was devastated and 34 lives were lost when the two rivers that form a confluence above the settlement, the East and West Lyn, flooded dramatically and swept away many of the buildings and roads.

I visited on a very hot and humid day though the sun was missing, making everything look rather flat - probably not the best conditions for an advertising brochure! There was, however, plenty to see and photograph including a group of watercolour artists (definitely not beginners. Their work was stunning.)  I also took a walk up the river gorge, through woods and past waterfalls to Watersmeet, a very pretty National Trust tearoom. It's a walk I've done before but it seemed much further in the heat of the day, leaving me reflecting that perhaps I'm not quite as spry as I was fifteen years ago! I had a good day out anyway.