The railway operates entirely on gravity and water weight without using electric motors to pull the cars.
Water is collected from the West Lyn River and pumped into a tank at the top of the railway to add mass to the descending car.
Each car carries a 700-gallon water tank beneath the floor which is filled or emptied to adjust weight.
The railway was designed by George Croydon Marks, who later became a prominent engineer and politician.
The carriages travel on a track gauge of 3 feet 6 inches.
The line was built to facilitate the movement of coal and lime, as well as tourists, between the two towns.
It is one of the oldest water-powered funiculars still in operation globally.
During operation, the descending car is always heavier than the ascending car to drive the mechanism.
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway is the world's steepest fully water-powered funicular railway. It connects the twin towns of Lynton and Lynmouth by climbing a 862-foot track at a gradient of 1:1.75. The system utilizes two interconnected carriages that use the weight of water tanks to counter-balance each other, requiring no electricity for propulsion. Opened in 1890, the railway has operated continuously for over 130 years using its original engineering principles. The tracks ascend the cliff face, providing vertical passage between the harbour level and the hilltop town center. The line covers a vertical ascent of 500 feet. The upper station is located in Lynton, while the lower station sits directly on the Lynmouth seafront. It remains a key piece of Victorian industrial heritage and the primary method for pedestrians to bypass the steep cliff path between the two settlements.
The lower station platform looking up toward the track as a carriage descends.
Sit in the front row of the carriage for an unobstructed view of the coastline as you ascend.
Check the local weather before visiting, as high winds occasionally cause temporary suspensions in service.
The path between stations is very steep; use the railway to save energy for walking the Valley of Rocks instead.
Do not attempt the steep walk between the towns in poor footwear; rely on the railway for a safe transit.
Operates daily from spring through late autumn; closed during the winter months for annual maintenance.
No smoking; keep limbs inside the carriage during transit.
