I am a big fan of the Ward Lock Red Guides, a series of
vintage guidebooks which give a fascinating insight into what tourism was like
in Britain in past decades. Looking at
the entry for Ilfracombe in the 1966 edition of the North West Devon guide, I
was astonished at the range of ‘steamer’ services available in those days. The guide lists the following: “Steamer
services and excursions to Lynmouth, Clovelly, Minehead, Bristol, Cardiff,
Barry and Swansea etc., also channel cruises and trips to Lundy, Mumbles,
Tenby, etc.” Today, the only regular
crossing still available is to Lundy during the summer months, and Ilfracombe
is also one of the departure points for trips on the Waverley paddle steamer. Ilfracombe also had a railway station in
1966, and there was a rail booking office in the High Street. Those were the days.
The first thing that strikes the visitor to Ilfracombe is
the stunning coastal scenery all around it.
Seen from an elevated position the harbour area of the town looks a lot
like St Ives, complete with a little chapel on a crag at the harbour entrance. St Nicholas Chapel, dating from 1321, once
housed a lighthouse keeper and his family including 14 children, but fell into
neglect. It was restored in 1962 by the
local Rotary Club, who still look after it today, welcoming visitors who want
to have a look around inside where there
is a small local history museum – free to enter though donations are welcome. Another feature of Ilfracombe which makes an
interesting, and quite unique, destination for visitors is Tunnels Beaches,
where there are two large tide-filled pools originally built in Victorian times
for single-sex bathing. As the name
suggests, the pools are accessible via tunnels for an entrance fee; nowadays there are
many more additions to the original attraction, such as a cafe bar, a shop and
a play hut.
During recent years, the controversial artist Damian Hurst
has started to make his mark in Ilfracombe.
First he opened a restaurant there, but this has since closed. What does still remain, though is a sculpture named Verity, depicting a naked pregnant woman brandishing a sword while carrying the scales of
justice. Not surprisingly, the sculpture
has split the local populace right down the middle, with many decrying the
grotesque nature of the sculpture. The
official webpage for the sculpture claims that Verity is an”allegory for truth
and justice”. Back on more normal ground, the Ilfracombe Museum on the
promenade is in Runnymede Gardens, and offers displays for all the family, and there is an Aquarium on the Harbourside. The Landmark Theatre occupies a cliff-top
position, making its cafe bar a lively lunchtime venue during rough seas. For diving enthusiasts, Ilfracombe-based Easy Divers offers courses and diving trips, including opportunities for seal encounters off Lundy Island.
For a list of events in Ilfracombe, follow this link.
For a list of events in Ilfracombe, follow this link.
Live streaming webcam view of Ilfracombe Bay.
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| Beacon Point Ilfracombe, from Capstone - geograph.org.uk - 1495423. Photo by Barrie Cann, via Wikimedia Commons. |
