These Boots Were Made for Walking ...

Photo Liam Cousins

If you walk up from Lynmouth to Watersmeet (one of the most beautiful and popular walks for our guests here at St Vincent Guest House), you will see an amazing spectacle. A string of walking boots tied to each side of the bank! You may wonder what this is for. Well, it is part of a fundraiser to get the new Woodside Bridge in place. The project is not fully funded by the National Park Authority, so people from all over are raising funds to reach the £65,000 needed.

There has been a crossing here for over 100 years with the original bridge being lost in the Lynmouth Flood of 1952. It was replaced later in the 1950s, and again in 1993 due to wear and tear, but unfortunately, this bridge had to be removed December 2016 for safety reasons.

Photo Liam Cousins

The new bridge in the East Lyn Valley will mean that thousands of walkers can enjoy the beautiful countryside and see the Middleham Memorial Gardens created after the flood. So, if you would like to join the many people in raising the money – sign up here!

If you were wondering who put up the boots, they were all hand-painted by the children of West Exmoor Federation and heaved into place across the East Lyn Valley by the Lynmouth Coastguard Search and Rescue. What a team!