Lynton Library

Lynton Library sits on the High Street in this cliff-top village above Lynmouth, and it's one of those proper local gems that tourists often walk straight past. Inside you'll find a modest but well-curated collection - local history books about the area, Devon authors, the usual suspects in fiction - plus comfortable seating and the kind of quiet that feels genuinely restorative after navigating the coastal tourist trail.

It's not somewhere to base a day around, but if you're staying at Lynmouth Holiday Retreat and the weather turns damp, or you fancy a coffee and browse before heading out walking, it's worth knowing about. The staff are knowledgeable about the area and can point you toward decent routes up on the moorland or down to the beach. Families with restless kids will likely move through it in twenty minutes; history types and walkers planning their next route might linger longer.

The real value is as a rainy-day stop or a place to get your bearings on the region's walking options. Don't expect a visitor attraction with bells on - it's a working village library that happens to be in a cracking location. Free admission, obviously, and the kind of place where you can sit and watch the sea glinting between the rooftops across the valley. That alone makes it worth a detour if you're in the area.