We paddled the splendid East Lyn River in north Devon this weekend, trying not to notice the bitterly cold wind blowing off the Bristol Channel and up the gorge. I was a happy man as it was the first time I’ve been in a boat since breaking a rib a month ago.
The East Lyn drains high Exmoor and falls steeply down to the sea at Lynmouth, amongst some wonderful coast. Whilst the East Lyn certainly deserves the title ‘Valley of the Rocks’, this name actually belongs to a bizarre dry valley perched above the sea nearby. Many geologists suspect that the East Lyn used to flow down this valley amongst the granite tors that characterise it.
We arrived after sunset and enjoyed the last light of the day there, communing with goats. There’s not much to do in Devon.
The Valley of the Rocks seen from the sea, 2007.
