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Lynton and Lynmouth funicular Cliff Railway was built in 1888 and is the highest and steepest totally water powered railway in the world. It's a Victorian engineering marvel and huge fun to travel in and to photograph.
The Cliff Railway connects the town of Lynton with its twin Lynmouth, 500 feet below, providing stunning coastal views along the way.
Part of the picturesque little town of Lynton is shown above. In the picture below you can see the view from the top station looking down from the base of the upper carriage to the top of lower one with its white roof at the bottom station. The funicular lives up to its billing, it really is steep.
The set of photographs below were taken from the upper carriage on its decent from the top station. Note this upper carriage is already fully loaded with water ready for its journey down to the lower station, see more on this below.
The views from it are indeed spectacular. As you descend powered only by gravity i.e. the weight difference between the top and bottom carriages connected by a cable and pulley, the journey is strangely quiet as there is no engine, just the rumble of the wheels running over the track. Only the weight of the water let into top carriage and subsequently let out again from the bottom one makes it go. Super eco-friendly or what?
Above you can see both the widening of the lines to make space for the two carriages to pass each other and the bridges over the railway where the modern access road to the cliffside houses cross as it snakes it way down to them. The latter make favourite viewing platforms for the tourists.
As you descend the vista opens up and you get dramatic views over Lynmouth beach and bay towards Countisbury as shown above..
Above we can be seen just about to pass the other, for the moment lighter, carriage on its way up.
All too soon you arrive at the bottom station seen in the above photo, where they dump the water out of the carriage to lighten it ready for its journey back to the top.
Then you can wander around the charming town and harbour of Lynmouth, as shown in the image above.
The fun thing is you can jump back onboard the funicular, return to the top and do it all again 😀.