RISING SUN

Characterful 14th century thatched Devonshire inn

STEP INSIDE THIS THATCHED 14th-century inn, and The Rising Sun's uneven wood floors, dark oak panelling and crooked ceilings take you right back to pirating days.

Exmoor's rugged hills rise up behind the inn, while at the front it looks over a small stone-walled harbour and salmon river. Owners Tony and Clair Vickery have mixed The Rising Sun's wood panelled antiquity with some of today’s essential comforts. Rooms have half-tester beds and plenty of charm, while wobbly floors, narrow stairways and low doorways come as standard.

Dinner is served by candlelight in the oak-panelled dining room whose leaded windows frame views of England's highest cliffs. Tuck into Cornish crab, Lynmouth Bay lobster or fresh langoustines.

Literary past

Despite the 14th century surrounds, bedrooms are surprisingly contemporary in feel, thanks to some recent re-styling by designer Suzanne Lansdell of Pour La Maison fame. Bathrooms are tiny, and it's worth paying the premium for a sea view.

Those seeking added seclusion can slumber in The Rising Sun's supposedly haunted Shelley's Cottage a few minutes away, where unsuspecting souls have been awoken by a naughty smack on the bottom – or so they say.

This is north Devon at its rugged best. Leading literary figures of the past have bedded down between these walls. RD Blackmore wrote several chapters of the classic Lorna Doone right here, while the poet Shelley made The Rising Sun his honeymoon lovenest in 1812.

Climb up the cliff path (or better still, take the little Victorian rail car) to the sister village of Lynton, and you might just catch sight of a stag or see a kingfisher flash past scenic Lynmouth Bay. The cliff sides are carpeted in flowers in springtime.


The Rising Sun was reviewed for Room for Romance by Mike North

Click on any picture to enlarge it and move through the gallery.

Dining in
The oak-panelled, candlelit dining room at the Rising Sun – complete with 14th century beams and haphazard wooden floor – has a relaxed, pubby feel. Bite into Lynmouth Bay lobster, salmon fished from the River Lyn and local game – duck, venison, hare or wild boar – from nearby Exmoor.

Dining out
Take the 100-year-old cliff railway up to Lynton , with its array of tea rooms and eateries.

See & Do
Take the historic Victorian cliff railway (it's moreover water powered, so eco friendly) 862 feet uphill to Lynton, where there are great views of the north Devon coast.  The wilds of Exmoor offer plenty of scope for walking and wildlife spotting (don't miss the Doone valley), while dramatic sea and cliff views await at the Valley of Rocks and Watersmeet – a dramatic river gorge with ancient woodlands – and surrounding coastal paths. Of course, you can always simply hang out and watch life around Lynmouth's pretty little harbour.

Shop
See traditional pots being thrown at Lynmouth Pottery's workshop and studio, then buy some to take home.

After dark
You're in early-to-bed country, so cosy up by the fire with a local ale and make the most of it.

Dates
June
Take in a gig or two at the Lynton & Lynmouth Arts and Music Festival.

GETTING THERE

Location
Harbourside, Lynmouth, Devon EX35 6EG

Parking
There is free on-street parking around the hotel from 4pm to 12 noon, and a public carpark close by. Many guests leave their car at the top of the cliff in Lynton, then take the Victorian funicular down to the sea.

Trains
Barnstaple station – 15 miles

Taxis
GBP 40 from the station

Airport
Exeter – 38 miles

ESSENTIAL INFO

Rates guide
GBP 130 - 190

Open/closed
Open all year

Check-in
2pm

Check-out
11am

Minimum night stay?
No

Breakfast
Full breakfast is served until 9:30am

Room service
Available until 9:30pm

Children
Welcome, but no under 8's in the restaurant

Pets
Welcome in certain rooms

Air conditioning
No

Wedding license?
No