We are staying in Lynmouth which is at sea level and is infamous for a disaster in 1952 when a sudden flood washed away homes killing 34 people.
A few hundred feet above is Lynton and to get between the two you can either walk or catch the cliff railway pictured opposite. Lynmouth is very touristy with several fudge shops, art galleries, ice cream and chip shops but nowhere selling newspapers or groceries. In 2000 we looked at buying a ruin here to do up but somehow decided against it and we also stayed here in 2013 and thought it was great. Now it seems to have less character and the hotel (pictured at the top of the page) has lost it's buzz but perhaps that is the effect of covid on the tourist trade.
In Bishop's Castle we have “Walking for Pleasure” leaflets and “Walking for Health” excursions. Gill and I prefer “Walking to Restaurants” and today we did just that. A 6½ mile walk along the coastal path on one of the classic Devon walks through the Valley of the Rocks to Hunters Inn which is a very nice hotel owned by the National Trust so expensive to keep riff raff away and everything painted in Farrow and Ball paint.
The food and wine were good and the refuelling and lubrication meant we did the 6½ mile return 30 minutes quicker than on the way out but are now a little tired and might have an early night.