Lynton Hotels - Smooth Hound Hotel Directory

Lynton, located in Devon, is a charming and picturesque town that is great for a day visitor of if you are simply looking to get away from it all. The church tower primarily dates back to the 13th century with the rest of the church dating back to the 18th century. Most of the other buildings in Lynton date back to the 19th century. Visitors will find there are numerous dining and entertainment as well as shopping venues in Lynton and in the immediate vicinity. There are also numerous accommodation options in the area that range in price and are suitable for every budget.

Lynton is a small village on the north Devon coast towards the edge of Exmoor National Park. It is connected to its neighbouring town of Lynmouth by a cliff railway, a water powered funicular railway that goes up the five hundred feet of the high cliffs between the two towns. The railway is powered by letting out water from the 700 gallon tanks on the cars and allowing the weight of the top car to pull up the lower one.

The gorge that the cliff railway follows was responsible for the Lynmouth flood disaster in 1952. There was a record amount of rainfall, with about ten inches of rain falling in a day, which caused the gorge to rise dramatically in its level. You can see the water level markers today and it is difficult to comprehend just how high the waters reached. The sheer volume of water caused massive devastation in the lower town of Lynmouth, including the destruction of ninety three buildings. The Memorial Hall in Lynmouth is a permanent exhibition devoted to the disaster. Since the flood, work has been carried out to widen the river channels to ensure that a similar event will never happen again.

You may recognise parts of the town of Lynton from the novel Lorna Doone, which was set in the area.