Ilfracombe: The North Devon Town Worth More of Your Time Than One Day Allows

Ilfracombe is one of those places that people drive through on the way to somewhere else, or pass through on a day trip without really getting under its skin. That’s their loss.
This is a town with a thousand years of history, a harbour that features in stories of smugglers and wartime convoys, a contemporary arts scene anchored by one of the UK’s most discussed public artworks, and a position on the North Devon coast that puts some of England’s most dramatic walking country at its doorstep.

The Harbour and What’s Around It

The harbour is the heart of Ilfracombe — sheltered by the hills, framed by the Lantern Hill chapel that has guided ships in since the 1320s, and busy with fishing boats, pleasure craft, and the various sea trip operators that have been part of the town’s identity for generations.
Damien Hirst’s ‘Verity’ stands at the harbour entrance: a 20-metre bronze figure that has been dividing opinion since 2012 and drawing curious visitors ever since. Whatever you think of it, it’s one of the most striking public sculptures in the country.
The old town behind the harbour is worth exploring on foot — independent shops, galleries, and the Victorian Tunnels Beaches, which were blasted through the clifftop in the 1820s to give access to tidal bathing pools.

Walking the Tors

The coastal path above Ilfracombe gives views across to Wales on a clear day. The Tors — a series of elevated headlands above the town — are accessible from the harbour and offer some of the most dramatic cliff-top walking in Devon.
Hillsborough, the headland immediately east of the harbour, is a short walk from the town and gives a view of the whole coastline to the east. West of the town, the path leads past Watermouth and towards Combe Martin, passing sea caves and ancient field systems.
This is walking country in every season. The light in winter is extraordinary.

Seeing it From the Water

Whatever time you spend in Ilfracombe on land, we’d encourage you to spend at least part of it from the water. The perspective changes completely.
Ilfracombe Princess has been sailing this coastline for more than 40 years. Come and join us.