Where: Exmoor National Park
When: July 25, 2015
With: Emma, Gemma, Jad, and Richard
The final stop on my weeklong British adventure was to another one of England's national parks. This time, we headed to the northern coast of the county Devon to Exmoor National Park.
I should say now that while on this weekend excursion, my friends threw me a surprise bachelorette party, or "hen-do" as they say in the UK. But since the boys had joined us, it wasn't proper for it to be a true hen-do. So we decided to combine it with the British name for a bachelor party (a "stag-do") and call it my "sten-do". Most of the photos from these shenanigans will not be shared, but here is one of us in our costumes for the weekend.
However, the fact that this was my "sten-do" weekend became ironic. For our day in Exmoor, we focused on seeing one particular section of Exmoor National Park that contains the villages of Lynmouth and Lynton, named for the River Lyn that runs along them. The irony in this decision is that my future last name would be Lynn. Seemed an appropriate destination for the celebration!
We drove in and parked at the more elevated of the two towns, Lynton, a quant little village among the cliffs. From here, we set off for the coastal hiking trail along the shoreline. I am always taken by surprise how beautiful the English coastline is. The turquoise waters coupled with the dramatic cliffs are just so beautiful. I could walk this hike everyday and never get tired of the view.
When: July 25, 2015
With: Emma, Gemma, Jad, and Richard
The final stop on my weeklong British adventure was to another one of England's national parks. This time, we headed to the northern coast of the county Devon to Exmoor National Park.
I should say now that while on this weekend excursion, my friends threw me a surprise bachelorette party, or "hen-do" as they say in the UK. But since the boys had joined us, it wasn't proper for it to be a true hen-do. So we decided to combine it with the British name for a bachelor party (a "stag-do") and call it my "sten-do". Most of the photos from these shenanigans will not be shared, but here is one of us in our costumes for the weekend.
However, the fact that this was my "sten-do" weekend became ironic. For our day in Exmoor, we focused on seeing one particular section of Exmoor National Park that contains the villages of Lynmouth and Lynton, named for the River Lyn that runs along them. The irony in this decision is that my future last name would be Lynn. Seemed an appropriate destination for the celebration!
We drove in and parked at the more elevated of the two towns, Lynton, a quant little village among the cliffs. From here, we set off for the coastal hiking trail along the shoreline. I am always taken by surprise how beautiful the English coastline is. The turquoise waters coupled with the dramatic cliffs are just so beautiful. I could walk this hike everyday and never get tired of the view.
The hike took about an hour to complete and was well-paved and flat most of the way, allowing for the beautiful views to simply be enjoyed. However, it was a steep drop if you didn't stick to the path, so not for the faint of heart!
The craggy coastline and cliffs were so unique, it was exciting to see what lay around each curve in the trail.
Stopped for a shot in our matching sten-do t-shirts, based on our travels in the Isle of Wight.
Not too much else to say on this hike, other than it was gorgeous and we had a blast talking, laughing, and taking in the views.
We eventually made it to the Valley of the Rocks, and climbed to a high point to play amongst the rock formations and take in the views.
From up here, the goats were clearly enjoying the view as well.
We climbed down and headed back towards town along the inland trail. Here's the view back on the the Valley of the Rocks.
Back in Lynton, what afternoon hike wouldn't be complete without a spot of tea? And this was a special one as we were able to enjoy a Devon staple, Devonshire cream. As if clotted cream on your scone couldn't get any better...
After tea, it was time to hike down the cliffs to explore the twin village of Lynmouth. This village sits right on the harbor with the shops and town circling around. The change in tide levels is pretty intense, as the harbor actually empties out when the tide is low. Look at all the ships aground!
However, with the tide out, we could walk out among the rocks to explore little tide pools along the way.
Exploring tide pools
After our explorations, we stopped for a drink at a famous old pub/inn, The Rising Sun. Built in the 14th century, the hotel has been updated, but the pub still retains its old, seafaring charm. Sadly didn't grab a photo, but it was such a fun place.
To return to Lynton, we decided to take the Lynton Cliff Railway rather than climb. Built in 1890, this tram was an adventurous but necessary feat to connect the two villages that were growing in popularity as a holiday destination.
After a lovely day exploring these two staple towns of Exmoor, we enjoyed the winding drive back to our cottage through country lanes and expansive pastures. In fact, we ended up coming across some wild horses.
Love the warning side. Simple, yet effective.
We got out of the car to hike this field and get better views of the horses.
Also, I think these are more moors (still trying to understand what constitutes a moor).
As the sun was setting, we had such a pretty view of the landscape on our drive.
This park was so beautiful and one day wasn't enough. I could spend a week here easily. So gorgeous. And an excellent way to celebrate a sten-do!
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