DRIVE 3: Taunton to Barnstaple
Above Pretty harbour town of Lynmouth,
rebuilt after the flood of 1952Eat and Drink: inexpensive, under £25; moderate, £25–£50; expensive, over £50EAT AND DRINKTAUNTON
Willow Tree moderate
Set in a 300-year-old gabled building in
an alley, this restaurant is noted for
imaginative dishes and vibrant decor.
3 Tower Lane, TA1 4AR; 01823 352 835;
open eves Tue–Sat; booking essentialSELWORTHY
Periwinkle Tearoom moderate
This amazingly picturesque 17th-
century thatched cottage (National
Trust) is perfect for a cream tea or snack.
Selworthy Green, TA24 8TP; 01643
862 769; open in daytime Easter–Sep;
closed Mon Easter–Jun
AROUND SELWORTHY
Piggy in the Middle moderate
Small family-run restaurant specializing
in local game, meat and seafood.
2 High Street, TA24 8PS (4 km/2.5
miles on A39 from Selworthy); 01643
862 647; open eves all year; also
lunch Easter–Sep; closed Feb53
ride with fabulous coastal views (open
daily mid-Feb–Oct). Lynton is a small
town looking out to sea with a pretty
church, which has a Norman font and
a 13th-century tower.
ª Take B3234 to Lynton, then A39
(signed Barnstaple). Turn left for on a
minor road (signed) for Arlington Court
1.5 km (1 mile) after Kentisbury Ford.
5 Oare
Somerset; EX35 6NU
Oare’s diminutive grey stone church, in
a quiet valley overlooking Oare Water,
was the setting in RD Blackmore’s
famous story, Lorna Doone, for the
heroine’s wedding to John Ridd;
18th-century box pews lead to the
altar where the ceremony was
interrupted by a shot fired through
one of the windows. A plaque by the
oak door commemorates the author
who brought the area such fame.
ª Go through Malmsmead and
Brendon to rejoin A39 towards
Lynmouth. Follow signs to town
car parks.
7 Arlington Court
Arlington, Parracombe; Devon; EX31 4LP
This Regency house (open Mar–Nov:
Sun–Fri; 01271 850 296; http://www.national
trust.org.uk) is packed with treasures,
from model ships to 18th-century
tapestries. The stables in the Deer
Park house over 50 horse-drawn
carriages; rides available most days.
ª Return to Kentisbury Ford on A39 ,
turn left on B3229 and follow signs to
Ilfracombe on A399. Take A361 out of
town, turn right onto B3343 and
follow signs to Mortehoe on minor
road to right. Park in the village.4 Selworthy
Somerset; TA24 8TJ
This is a picture-postcard hamlet of
thatched cottages with a splendid
view over the Vale of Porlock and a
white 14th-century Perpendicular
church framed by woods. It is part of
the Holnicote Estate which extends
from Porlock Bay to Dunkery Hill on
Exmoor, its spectacular moorland
dotted with woods and medieval
villages. Home to wild ponies and
horned sheep, the moor is criss-
crossed by footpaths. On the way to
Oare, Dunkery Beacon is the highest
point on Exmoor (519 m/1,260 ft),
with extensive views in all directions.
ª From Selworthy, take A39 towards
Porlock, turning left at sign for West
Luccombe, then right at sign for Dunkery
Beacon. Return to A39, forking right at
Porlock onto New Road (toll) to avoid
very steep Porlock Hill. Rejoin A39. Turn
left at sign for Doone Valley after 1 km
(half a mile). Follow road to Oare.
The Story of Lorna Doone
Stories of an outlaw family, the
Doones, who terrorized Exmoor in
the 17th century fired the fertile
imagination of local author RD
Blackmore. In his 1869 novel Lorna
Doone, he tells the story of John
Ridd, an Oare farmer who falls in love
with the Doones’ adopted daughter,
Lorna. He vividly describes the
countryside, disguising many of the
real locations. Today, leafy footpaths
run from Oare and Malmsmead to
the so-called Doone Valley. Beyond
Blackmore Memorial by Badgworthy
Water, look out for Lank Combe
Water – was this the secret waterfall
that John Ridd climbed?6 Lynmouth
Devon; EX35 6EQ
Picturesquely set at the foot of the
wooded valleys of the East and West
Lyn rivers, this former herring fishing
village is best known for the terrible
flood in August 1952. After torrential
rain, flash floods washed away the
harbour and nearby houses, killing
34 people. The Flood Memorial Hall
commemorates the disaster with a
scale model of the village as it was.
From the seafront, an ingenious water-
powered cliff railway, opened in 1888,
glides 263 m (862 ft) up a steep track
to Lynton – an exciting two-minute
Below Visitors enjoying a carriage ride around
the grounds of Arlington Court