Watersmeet House, National Trust
12th June 2019
Watersmeet House is a Nation Trust property set next to a stunning river gorge and amongst ancient woodlands. We decided (well, Michele decided for us 😟) to walk from Lynmouth to Watersmeet. The gorge runs directly from Lynmouth and the walk follows the river banks for most of the way. There are a couple of different walk options, a ‘there and back’!
Watersmeet is a former fishing lodge and dates from approximately 1832. The house was built for Walter Stevenson Halliday. It is today used as an information centre, tea room and shop by the National Trust. . Watersmeet House is the starting-off point for some 40 miles (64 km) of woodland, streamside and seaside walks. The site has been a tea garden since 1901, and has been owned by the National Trust since 1936.
The 348 hectares (860 acres) Watersmeet SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), partly situated on land also owned by the National Trust, includes an extensive area of ancient oak woodland.
Watersmeet House, hidden in the trees.
Michele can’t even wait to pour the tea!
A lovely place to sit with a cream tea.
I’m not sure why, but even though we took the same trail back it did seem a lot further. That may have been the large portion of fish and chips at Lynmouth or the very large cream tea at Watersmeet.
It’s 35 miles from Moorparks Holiday Cottages and a really nice drive. We had a really nice day out, Lynton and Lynmouth followed by the walk to Watersmeet. Well worth a visit.
It’s 35 miles from Moorparks Holiday Cottages and a really nice drive. We had a really nice day out, Lynton and Lynmouth followed by the walk to Watersmeet. Well worth a visit.
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