Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

The Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a water-powered funicular joining the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth on the rugged North Devon coast. The towns sit on either side of a steep cliff that once made travel and trade difficult. In the late 19th century, plans were made to build a lift that could carry goods and people up the slope. The civil engineer George Croydon Marks designed the railway and Sir George Newnes provided the money. Local contractor Robert Jones helped design the braking system and supervised its construction. The railway opened in 1890 and has run without a break ever since. It is the world’s highest and steepest water-powered cliff railway still in use. The system uses water from the West Lyn River piped to the upper station to balance the weight of the two cars. Each car carries up to 40 passengers and has its own 700-gallon tank. The gradient is 58 per cent, and halfway up there is a passing bay where the cars can swap places. Visitors find two small stations with waiting rooms, one at the top in Lynton and one at the bottom in Lynmouth. The upper station has a reservoir fed by a mile-long pipe from the river. The track is 862 feet long and rises 500 feet. The cars move without engines, controlled by drivers who use hand signals to keep them in step. The original four braking systems still safeguard every journey.