Lyn and Exmoor Museum

About the museum

The Lyn and Exmoor Museum is housed in a small whitewashed stone cottage in Lynton that is described as the town's oldest surviving domestic dwelling. The building is Grade II listed, and its age and compact size limit the facilities the museum can offer.

The displays in seven rooms cover about 200 years of local life. They include a rural Exmoor kitchen with an open fireplace and bread oven, farm and domestic tools, maritime items, natural history specimens and models and photographs of the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway. The museum is known for its unique pictures of the 1952 Lynmouth flood, and it also holds a Victorian dolls' house and material on the novel Lorna Doone.

The museum has closed for a complete refurbishment. The work was announced in December 2024, funded by a large Arts Council grant, and the collection has been packed into secure storage. The museum now expects to reopen in 2027.

Highlights

• Unique pictures of the 1952 Lynmouth flood
• Rural Exmoor kitchen with open fireplace and bread oven
• Victorian dolls' house
• Lynton and Barnstaple Railway models and photographs
• Natural history displays, including a golden eagle found on Exmoor in 1920

Permanent exhibitions

• The 1952 Lynmouth flood – Rare pictures of the flood that devastated Lynmouth in 1952.
• Rural kitchen and local life – An Exmoor kitchen with an open fireplace and bread oven, with farm and domestic tools.
• Lynton and Barnstaple Railway – Models, photographs and railway items about the narrow-gauge line.

Admission & discounts

The museum is closed for refurbishment and is expected to reopen in 2027.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

No access information is published. The museum says the age and compact size of the building limit its facilities.

Kids & families

The Devon Museums page shows a children's activities symbol but gives no details.

Getting there & parking

From the car park, walk up the slope towards the village and follow the road past the school; the museum is on the right.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

An online museum shop is linked from the Devon Museums page.

Events & venue rental

The museum is closed for refurbishment and is expected to reopen in 2027.

Plan your visit