Lynton is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

on the Exmoor coast in the

North Devon North Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. North Devon Council is based in Barnstaple. Other towns and villages in the North Devon District include Braunton, Fremington, Ilfracombe, Instow, South Molton, Lynton and ...

district in the county of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

, England, approximately north-east of Barnstaple and west of

Minehead Minehead is a coastal town and civil parish in Somerset, England. It lies on the south bank of the Bristol Channel, north-west of the county town of Taunton, from the boundary with the county of Devon and in proximity of the Exmoor National P ...

, and close to the confluence of the West Lyn and East Lyn rivers.

Governance

Lynton is part of the Lynton and Lynmouth electoral ward whose total ward population at the 2011 census was 1,647. The two communities are governed at local level by Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council.

Location and geography

The two settlements are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway. 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 Samaritans Way South West is a Long-distance footpath in South West England. It was officially opened on 21 April 2004 by the Ramblers Vice Chairman, the Samaritans (charity) Chief Executive and a farmer from Gloucestershire who headed the ...

runs from

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

to Lynton and the Coleridge Way from

Nether Stowey Nether Stowey is a large village in the Sedgemoor district of Somerset, South West England. It sits in the foothills of the Quantock Hills (England's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), just below Over Stowey. The parish of Nether Stowey c ...

to Lynmouth. The Valley of Rocks and Wringcliff Bay are to the west.

History and buildings

The Lyn and Exmoor Museum, Lynton - geograph

Evidence of

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

activity can be found at the nearby Roborough Castle. Lynton's Parish Church of St Mary, 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 and in late Victorian/early Edwardian times. Many of the town's buildings were constructed in the latter part of the 19th century and the early 20th century. Lynton 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 United Reformed Church building (originally a Congregational church) on Lee Road.

Twinning

Lynton and Lynmouth are jointly twinned with Bénouville in France.

Transport

Lynton was once the terminus for the narrow-gauge Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, which served both towns. , Lynton is served by the following bus services: *309/310 Lynton & Lynmouth - Barnstaple (Filers Travel)

Sport

The Lynton & Lynmouth Cricket Club, founded in August 1876, meet at the Valley of Rocks.

Notable people

Leslie McLean Leslie Eric McLean (19 April 1918 – 16 December 1987) was an English first-class cricketer. McLean was born in April 1918 at Lynton, Devon. He was educated at Bishop's Stortford College, before going up to Christ Church, Oxford. While st ...

(1918–1987), cricketer

References

External links

* *
Lynton & Lynmouth Town Council
{{authority control Exmoor Towns in Devon Lynton and Lynmouth