Where to go · Devon
Forest bathing at Watersmeet
Steep Exmoor woodland where the East Lyn River meets Hoar Oak Water, with beech, oak and falling water.
Watersmeet is the National Trust's wooded valley above Lynmouth on Exmoor, where the East Lyn River and Hoar Oak Water join and tumble over rocks towards the sea. The beech here was planted in the 1950s and the Trust is now thinning it and removing larch to give the native oaks more room. Watersmeet House, which has served cream teas since 1901, sits by the meeting of the rivers.
Most walks start from the Watersmeet car park on the road above, with a steep zig-zag path and steps down into the valley. From there the walk along the East Lyn is moderate and undulating, with steps, uneven paths and stretches that are slippery in the wet. Spring brings bluebells under the beech, and autumn turns the beech wood copper. The sound of the river is with you the whole way.
Practical
- Managed by
- National Trust
- Parking
- Watersmeet public car park on Watersmeet Road
- Terrain
- Steep zig-zag path and steps from the car park, then undulating riverside paths; slippery when wet
- Nearest station
- Barnstaple, about 18 miles from Lynmouth
- Facilities
- Tea garden (holiday season), shop and toilets at Watersmeet House
- Opening and entry
- Free access to the woods
- Official page
- nationaltrust.org.uk
Last updated 4 November 2026. Paths, parking and access can change, so check before you visit. Spotted something out of date? Please let us know.
Guides who run sessions here
No guides listed at Watersmeet yet
See forest bathing guides in Devon, who may run sessions nearby. If you guide here, list your practice for free and add Watersmeet to your venues.
More woodlands in Devon
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Arlington CourtNorth Devon estate with ancient woodland, an old lake and red deer
Bellever ForestHigh Dartmoor conifer forest by the East Dart, with Bronze Age remains among the trees
Fingle WoodsSteep, wooded Teign valley where oak and hazel are slowly replacing old conifer plantationPhotos: Arlington Court, Bill Tyne from Oxford, England (CC BY-SA 2.0); Bellever Forest, Forester2009 (CC BY-SA 3.0); Fingle Woods, Nilfanion (CC BY-SA 4.0).