Watersmeet

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Up near the North Devon coastal towns of Lynton and Lynmouth, there are many walking tracks. We've tried several of them, and whether your looking for somewhere to take a relaxing walk or one with a bit more of a challenge, then this is an excellent place to go.



Watersmeet is where the Hoar Oak Water and East Lyn river meet, with over 2000 acres for you to take a walk around and explore the English countryside. It makes for a pleasant place to spend a few hours or even a few full days of adventuring



You can venture among the ancient woodlands through the gorge with a meandering river and parklands that contain over 65km of walking tracks. Each trail has a walking guide that is available on the National Trust website .

There are several free guides available, and each provides information on how challenging the trails are. With a rough guide as to how long they might take the average person and the distance you will cover, they include a map and instructions to help keep you on track.

Trails include :

Lynmouth circular via Watersmeet and Countisbury
Countisbury to Arnold's Linhay circular walk
Countisbury figure-of-eight walk
Countisbury circular walk via Winston's Path
Watersmeet to Ash Bridge circular walk

If you fancy a drink or snack, there is a cafe and garden at Watersmeet House. It has a relaxing outdoor seating area that's close to the river and there is also a gift shop and toilets located at the back of the cafe.

Staff in the shop can also provide you with more information about the area and where to go. Nearby picnic areas include Combe park and Northbank riverside area below Chiselcombe bridge.


The closest parking to Watersmeet House is directly up the side of the gorge via a zigzagging path, which makes it easy to visit the cafe without doing one of the walking trails.

Unfortunately, the car park is owned by the local council and not the National Trust. Members still have to pay but; at the time we visited, the ticket you purchase in one council car park was valid in their other car parks. So you buy an all-day ticket and don't have to worry about paying for parking again as you move around the area.

To save some money, you can park for free at Barna Barrow, Combe Park and Brendon.

If you are looking to stay in the area, there are several different options nearby that allow you to have a base while exploring the many paths around the area.

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