Lyn and Exmoor Museum

Lyn and Exmoor Museum is a small local museum in Lynton, Devon, in south-west England. It occupies St Vincent's Cottage, the oldest surviving domestic dwelling in the town, a whitewashed stone house with Grade II listed status. The building is as much a part of the visit as the collections inside it.

What kind of museum is it?

It is a community museum about the everyday lives of people in Lynton, Lynmouth and the wider Exmoor area. Rather than grand masterpieces, you will find ordinary objects, photographs, engravings and paintings that together show how life on this stretch of coast changed over roughly two centuries. The displays are spread over several small rooms, so the visit is compact and easy to fit into a walk around town.

Why is the cottage itself interesting?

The cottage is more than three hundred years old. In the early 1960s it was condemned as unfit for people to live in, and it could easily have been lost like many similar houses. Instead it was saved and turned into a museum. Little is known about the people who once lived here, so the house stands for the unnamed ordinary folk of the area rather than for a single family. Visitors also often mention a resident ghost said to haunt the place.

What will you see inside?

• A traditional Exmoor kitchen, arranged to show daily life in a country home.
• Paintings, engravings and photographs recording local life across about 200 years.
• The 1952 Lynmouth flood, one of the most devastating events in the region's history, told through photographs and keepsakes.
• The Lynton and Barnstaple Railway, with models and pictures of the narrow-gauge line that once linked the town to the rest of Devon.
• Farm tools and household items that reflect work on Exmoor's farms.
• A ship's figurehead, fossils and minerals, plus displays on Exmoor wildlife.
• A Victorian doll's house and material connected to the novel Lorna Doone, set on Exmoor.

There is also a garden beside the cottage, a pleasant spot to pause after the exhibits.

Who should visit?

The museum suits anyone exploring Lynton and Lynmouth who enjoys local history, railways, the story of the 1952 flood or the literary background of Exmoor. Families will appreciate the doll's house and old domestic objects. It is run on a small scale, so expect a quiet, personal visit rather than crowds or large facilities.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the museum? In Lynton, Devon, within Exmoor National Park, inside the historic St Vincent's Cottage.

How long does a visit take? Usually an hour to an hour and a half, since the displays fill a handful of rooms.

Is the building historic? Yes. It is a Grade II listed, whitewashed stone cottage and the oldest surviving domestic dwelling in Lynton.

Is it open all year? It operates seasonally, roughly spring to autumn, on selected days of the week. Check opening times and admission prices on the museum's official website before you go.

Does it cover the famous flood? Yes, one part of the exhibition is devoted to the 1952 Lynmouth flood.

What is the link to Lorna Doone? The novel is set in the Exmoor landscape, so the museum presents material related to that story.