Lynton

Twin villages perched on Exmoor's northern cliffs, Lynton sits 500 feet above its harbour sister Lynmouth, connected by a Victorian water-powered cliff railway that's still the easiest way between them. The dramatic coastline here is proper wild Devon - towering cliffs, hidden valleys, and moorland that rolls down to meet the Bristol Channel.

Lynton feels like a frontier town. The high street has that end-of-the-world quality you get at coastal edges, with the moor stretching inland and nothing but sea ahead. The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, a narrow-gauge line that once connected this remote corner to the outside world, now runs heritage trains to Woody Bay when it's operating. It's a lovely journey through the valley, though the full line's still being restored.

Exmoor dominates everything here. The Beacon Outdoor Activity Centre offers a base for exploring the peaks like Great Buscombe and Little Buscombe, while walkers head to The Foreland for some of the best coastal views in Devon. Ancient history dots the landscape too - Roman remains and stone circles remind you this wild country has been inhabited for millennia.

Getting here requires commitment. Lynton sits at the end of the A39, about 20 miles from Barnstaple, which has the nearest rail connection. The roads are narrow and winding - typical Devon lanes that follow medieval routes through valleys and over hills.

Staying at one of the nearby parks makes perfect sense. You're ideally placed to explore both the coastal path and inland Exmoor, with the twin villages as your base for supplies and that famous cliff railway. The surrounding countryside offers everything from gentle reservoir walks at Bray to challenging hikes across the open moor.