Home Page Skip Navigation
  • Family Devon - For fun activities & beach holidays, Devon is Britain’s favourite family holiday destination.
  • Active Devon - Devon is an idyllic playground - from surfing to sailing, walking to cycling, golf to fishing.
  • Cultural Devon - Discover Devon’s gardens, castles, maritime cities, famous authors, and performing arts.
  • Group Travel - Diverse landscapes, delicious food, historic towns, a wealth of attractions and high quality accommodation.
  • Foodie Devon - Enjoy freshly caught fish, farmhouse cheeses & local ales in Devon’s restaurants and pubs.
  • Naturally Devon - Explore green Devon’s two national parks, 500km of coast and 3,500 miles of footpaths.

Lynton/Lynmouth - Barnstaple

Distance: 47 miles
Difficulty: Moderate/Hard
End points:
- Lynmouth (Grid Ref SS724495)
- Barnstaple (Grid Ref SS555325)

This part of the Tarka Trail follows the line of the South West Coast Path along the North Devon coast and into the estuary of the River Taw to return to Barnstaple. Leaving Lynmouth and Lynton, the coast of Exmoor provides a spectacular landscape of rounded cliffs, among the highest in England, and deep wooded valleys. Further on, a series of headlands is punctuated by small coves and wide sweeping bays of golden sands. As it descends to the Taw estuary, the Trail passes sand dunes and marshland, before using a former railway to follow the shore of the estuary into Barnstaple.

Mileages between towns on route:
Lynmouth - Combe Martin: 13 miles
Combe Martin - Ilfracombe: 5 miles
Ilfracombe - Woolacombe: 7 miles
Woolacombe - Croyde: 6 miles
Croyde - Braunton: 10 miles
Braunton - Barnstaple: 6 miles

Public Transport: Buses at Lynmouth, Lynton, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Woolacombe, Croyde, Saunton, Braunton, Barnstaple; trains at Barnstaple.

Relevant maps/guides: 1:25,000 scale: Explorer no. OL9 Exmoor; 139 Bideford, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple. 1: 50,000 scale Landranger no. 190 Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.

Facilities along route: All facilities at Lynmouth, Lynton, Combe Martin, Ilfracombe, Woolacombe, Croyde, Braunton, Barnstaple; pubs at Lee Bay, Saunton.