Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a great way to get a view on the bay. You can even take your bike up for 3 pounds (2011). The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a water-powered funicular railway. Because of the remoteness of the area, and rugged geography, villagers had to rely on the sea for most deliveries of coal, lime, foodstuffs and other essentials, which had then to be carried by packhorses and carts up the steep hill to Lynton. The high cliffs separating the two towns (then villages) were a major obstacle to economic development in the 19th century. That's why they built the funicular. The cliffs also posed problems for the burgeoning tourist industry. Holiday makers began to arrive at Lynmouth on paddle steamers from Bristol, Swansea and other Bristol Channel ports, from about 1820. Ponies, donkeys and carriages were available for hire, but the steep gradients led to the animals having only short working lives. Opened on Easter Monday in 1890, the railway has been in continuous use ever since.

Dromos