Rising Sun

Exmoor National Park


What was a 14th-century smugglers' haunt has been transformed into an intimate hideaway with a sleek designer feel. Elegant flourishes are all around, from the subtle lighting and local art to the soft, tasteful throws. Ask for a sea-view room to watch the tide rise and fall in the harbour just outside.

Couples also love the two-room Shelley's Cottage (per night £200). Said to be where the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley honeymooned, it comes with its own private garden and sweeping views.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Exmoor National Park attractions

1. Cliff Railway

0.04 MILES

This extraordinary piece of Victorian engineering sees two cars, linked by a steel cable, descend and ascend the steeply sloping cliff face according to…

2. Flood Memorial

0.06 MILES

On 16 August 1952 a huge wave of water swept through Lynmouth following torrential rain. The devastation was immense: 34 people lost their lives, and four…

3. Lyn & Exmoor Museum

0.21 MILES

This sweet museum's collections include chilling pictures of Lynmouth's devastating 1952 flash flood, which claimed 34 lives. It occupies the town's…

4. Porlock Weir

8.87 MILES

Porlock Weir's stout granite quay curves around a shingly beach, which is backed by pubs, fisherfolks' storehouses and a scattering of seasonal shops. The…

5. Arlington Court

8.93 MILES

The honey-grey Regency manor house of Arlington Court exudes charm, from the model ships and shells collected by the owners, to the produce-packed walled…

6. Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre

11.09 MILES

Catch the owl and bird-of-prey flying show (2pm), book your own hour-long private flying session (from £45), or have the kids hitch a half-hour ride on…

7. Verity

12.28 MILES

Pregnant, naked and holding aloft a huge spear, Damien Hirst's 20m statue Verity towers above Ilfracombe's harbour mouth. On the seaward side her skin is…

8. Holnicote Estate

12.29 MILES

The 50-sq-km Holnicote Estate sweeps southeast out of Porlock, taking in a string of impossibly pretty villages. Picturesque Bossington leads to charming…