an exmoor b&b owned and managed by sue & andy north
guest house and b&b, lynton, north devon
34 lee road, lynton EX35 6BS tel: 01598 753328
A lesser-known way to view the Valley of Rocks is from the Southcliffe hill walk. We have found that even visitors who have been walking in the area for years have never tried it. Although Southcliffe is one of the highest hills in the area, the walk is quite gradual and the views are wonderful. After only a few minutes there is a panoramic view of Lynton, and a little later you are way above the Valley of Rocks. The walk continues past Castle Rock towards Lee Abbey. We did the walk yesterday and made it circular by turning up to Six Acre Farm (ice creams available at the farm shop) and back down Lydiate Late, but it would also be possible to visit the tea cottage at Lee Abbey (mentioned many times below) and come back through the Valley of Rocks along the road.
The Lee Abbey Tea Cottage (mentioned earlier this month) is open all Summer this year, and we took a stroll there today and also did a bit of exploring. Just past Lee Abbey, the tea cottage is about a half-hour walk from here, and there is a pay and display car park there, so you could drive to it. We also walked down the nearby road that leads to the beach, which we had never done before (pictured). We also tested the date and oat scones with honey and clotted cream . . . very nice!
We visited the ladies from the Friends of the Church at Marwood today for a cream tea. Cream teas are served in Marwood Church Hall from 2pm-5pm on Sundays from Easter until the last Sunday in September, in aid of the church. When they say 'cream teas' they actually mean bread and butter, home made jam, scones with cream and a selection of home made cakes! . . . all delicious. Marwood gardens are well worth visiting, and this is an added attraction on a Sunday.
The line-up has been finalised for this year's Lynton & Lynmouth Music Festival, which takes place from the 12th to the 14th June. Posters have started appearing around town. The eclectic mix includes Badly Drawn Boy, Skitz Hint, David Holmes, First Degree Burns and RSVP. The full line-up can be found on the Llama website at www.llama.org.uk
We received a flyer today saying that the Lee Abbey Tea Cottage will be open this year from the 14th May until September (10.30-5.00, Tuesday to Saturday). Previously it has only been open in July and August, so it is useful to have somewhere to stop between here and Woody Bay. The tea cottage is set in an informal garden at the bottom of the hill beyond Lee Abbey and serves excellent cakes, cream teas and light lunches . . . one of our favourite places!
Our favourite beach close to here, and the one we always recommend to guests who fancy a paddle is at Puttsborough. It is usually fairly quiet, although today the car park was almost full (mainly surfers). It is a 30-40 minute walk along the sand to Woolacombe, which has everything you would expect from a seaside town. In the Winter and Spring we are used to having these beaches pretty much to ourselves and a few people surfing and walking dogs . . . not today!
Driving through Barbrook near Lynton lately you sometimes see a bird of prey on a perch outside the cottages opposite the old Post Office, especially on a sunny day. We have been asked about this recently, so we decided to investigate. The bird is called Kerry, a Harris (or Harris's) Hawk, native to South America, but commonly used in this country for falconry and pest control. Kerry's owner Barry kindly took the time to tell us all about her and actually let us hold her for a while. Getting so close to such a magnificent bird was a fantastic experience, which Kerry tolerated patiently.
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