Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway

The high cliffs separating Lynton and Lynmouth made travel and economic development in the area difficult. Most goods, including coal, lime, foodstuffs and other essentials, were delivered by sea to Lynmouth and then carried by packhorses and carts up the steep hill to Lynton. The cliffs posed difficulties for the burgeoning tourist industry in the region. Holidaymakers arrived at Lynmouth on paddle steamers from Bristol and Swansea and other ports in the Bristol Channel, from about 1820. Ponies, donkeys and carriages were available for hire, but the steep gradients led to the animals having short working lives. As the 19th century progressed, it was apparent that the cliffs were…

The (51 & 52 Vict. c. xcii), authorised the formation of the Lynmouth and Lynton Lift Company. It was given the perpetual rights to extract up to 60000 impgal of river water from the Lyn Valley per day. The water-powered railway was designed by civil engineer George Croydon Marks, who provided the company's engineering expertise. Its construction was financed mainly by his business partner, publisher Sir George Newnes who owned a large residence at Hollerday Hill and who also backed the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in 1898 and the construction of Lynton Town Hall in 1900. Robert Jones, was appointed the contractor to build the cliff railway; Jones also contributed to the system's design.…