Rock House Hotel Lynmouth Exmoor Devon
Manor Green
Exmoor
Lynmouth
Devon
EX35 6EN
Exmoor

Tel: 01598 753508

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Rock House Hotel Lynmouth Exmoor Devon Property Description

Rock House Hotel Lynmouth Exmoor Devon a Hotel in Lynmouth Exmoor Devon offering Short Breaks, Midweek Breaks, Weekend Breaks and Autumn Breaks in Lynmouth Exmoor Devon invites you to share the magic of living at the water's edge in an 18th century picturesque hotel uniquely standing alone at the Lynmouth harbour entrance.

ONLINE BOOKING

The unique candlelit harbour side restaurant offers intimate dining whilst admiring the views of the relentless sea with the second highest tidal range in the world. Our Resident Chefs, with their culinary expertise, will spoil you with their extensive and delicious menu complimented by a selection of top quality wines.

We have a fully licensed bar overlooking our picturesque garden, where lunches or cream teas can be enjoyed.
Evening meals can be enjoyed in either our Harbourside Restaurant or Garden restaurant and bar area.

Also offers Artists Break in Lynmouth

Mike McDonald has been teaching art and painting professionally in the Exeter area for over twenty years. He specialises in teaching outdoor sketching techniques in a variety of media, and last year ran a successful three day Artists Break at Rock House Hotel.
He will be running a similar event this year for artists of all levels of accomplishment. They should find lots to interest and challenge them in a friendly and comfortable hotel by the sea, with daily outings into the beautiful Exmoor countryside around the Lynmouth area whilst receiving expert tuition. You can get more information about Mike McDonald on his website www.mikemcdonald.co.uk

3 night Artists Break April 10th -13th 2011.
The package consists of :

Accommodation in one of our Fourposter, double or twin bedrooms
Full English Breakfast
Packed lunch
Parking
Tuition by artist Mike McDonald

Cost is £335.00 per person sharing - single occupancy £435.00.

and

Barry Herniman
Come and spend an exciting three days painting in and around the lovely harbour village of Lynmouth on Devon's North Coast.
We will be painting outside at every opportunity, taking advantage of this delightful village with its wealth of painting subjects ... right on our doorstep!
The emphasis of the break will be 'have a go' and try out some new and exciting techniques taking in the sights and sounds of this coastal area and capturing them on paper. We will be painting mostly with watercolour but I am happy to tutor in other media as well.
Our venue for this Painting Break is the small and friendly Rock House Hotel which stands right at the harbour's edge within its own large gardens. Our group will actually be taking over the whole hotel for the three days so if it rains we can paint in the hotel ... and there is a different view from each window.
And that's not all! Just around the corner, so to speak, we have the delights of Exmoor, Watersmeet and the Valley of Rocks to tempt us away from our harbour village!
If you would like more information about me please check out my website www.barryherniman.com

3 night Painting Break April 13th -16th 2011.
The package consists of :

Accommodation in one of our Fourposter, double or twin bedrooms
Full English Breakfast
Packed lunch
Parking
Tuition by renowned artist Barry Herniman

Cost is £335.00 per person sharing - single occupancy £435.00.

History of Rock House

It was back in Regency times that Rock House first began playing host to wealthy families. And still today this charming hotel stands proudly on the manor green, radiating the elegance and charm of a bygone age

As early as the eighteenth century a simple cottage stood on the site, fronting onto the fast flowing waters of the Lyn and looking out over the picturesque harbour. In the late 1820s this building was completely refashioned, being given elaborately glazed gothic windows and on the ground floor attractive shutters. Soon afterwards a beautifully proportioned extension was added, boasting a thatched veranda and commanding fine views across lush unaltered lawns.

Rock House has a setting steeped in history. For centuries local fishermen brought big catches of herring intothe harbour. So plentiful were the fish that the lord of the manor sometinmes had them spread as manure on the manr field next to Rock House. Tradition has it that this made the herring feel insulted and this is why they suddenly deserted the coast in 1797 leaving the fishermen impoverished.

Rock House in ????
Rock House in ????

Local men then turned to smuggling to supplement their incomes. The evidence suggests that the lord of the manor was heavily involved and old folk still tell of a tunnel reputed to have run between Rock House and the Manor House. What is certain is that in 1805 a lugger from Guernsey came into the harbour and in broad daylight landed over 600 kegs of spirits onto the manor field. There the barrels lay for two days and nights before men came down with packhorses and carried them away.

One of the last contraband runs into the harbour took place on a January night in 1832. The occupants of Rock House would have had a grandstand view of the battle that ensued when coastguards tried to arrest the smugglers and seize their brandy. Coastguards keeping watch saw a sailing vessel come into the bay just after midnight. Lights flashed and a rowing boat came in ashore from the vessel, loaded with brandy. Down Mars Hill came smugglers with packhorses, but as the kegs were being loaded on to the horses, three coastguards sprang out and arrested the smugglers at gunpoint. One of the coastguards went off for reinforcements and while he was gone a second rowing boat loaded with more kegs came in from the vessel in the bay. These smugglers realised what was happening and attacked the coastguards on the beach. The coastguards were badly beaten, tied up and left lying on the beach. The smugglers returned to their ship, which sailed away. The men on shore loaded some of the kegs onto their horses and disappeared into the night. When the reinforcements arrived, all they found were kegs strewn about and two badly injured coastguards.

By Victorian times Lynmouth had become a select resort for those with the means and time to make the long and difficult journey. Rock House was let out to wealthy families who arrived for the summer months with their servants on the paddle steamer from Bristol. In 1869, for example, Mr Whitehead, a wealthy mill owner from Gloucestershire, rented Rock House and caused a huge stir by erecting an iron church in Lynmouth, which was intended to rival the parish church at Lynton.

In more recent times tragedy came to Lynmouth. On the night of 15th August 1952 a raging torrent of water swept through the little village, bringing death and destruction in its wake. Miraculously, Rock House escaped the worst of the flood with the main force of the waters striking the opposite side of the river bank where it demolished the old lifeboat house and beach house before swinging back to rush past the rear of the hotel. Although parts of Rock House were flooded to a depth of several feet, no serious structural damage was done.

So Rock House survived when many old hotels and cottages were completely destroyed. Today this fine building serves as a reminder of days long gone, when discerning visitors first discovered Lynmouth and were entranced by it's exceptional scenery

Rock House Hotel Lynmouth Exmoor Devon Local Information

Rock House Hotel Lynmouth Exmoor Devon Room Information