Lyn and Exmoor Museum

You'll find this place tucked away in Lynton, which says something about how understated it is. The Lyn and Exmoor Museum is exactly what you'd expect from a local heritage operation - proper focused on the area's history without trying to be something it's not. The collection covers Exmoor's landscape, the old mining industry, and village life as it actually was, which beats most museum displays you'll find stuffed with objects nobody cares about.

It's the kind of spot where locals have genuinely curated things that matter to them. You get a real sense of what made this corner of Devon tick - the moorland, the people, the way life worked before tourism took over. Family groups with kids aged eight upwards will get something from it, though don't expect an afternoon's entertainment. Two hours maximum is realistic, and honestly, that's generous if you're not particularly into local history.

The admission is modest enough that you won't feel robbed if it's not your thing. Worth building into a morning if you're staying at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat down the road - it's barely a mile away, which makes it easy to tick off before heading out on a proper Exmoor walk. Go on a drizzly day when the moor isn't calling you loudly. It works well as a rainy-afternoon backup, and it genuinely adds texture to understanding the landscape you'll be walking through.