Over 135 years of pioneering engineering; pushing boundaries and striving to be our best. It’s nice to be recognised for our efforts.
Winners of the 2025 Heritage Railway Association ‘Innovation of the Year’ Award in recognition of the excellent Safety Management Systems implemented at Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway. The Cliff Railway was also Highly Commended in the HRA ‘Railway of the Year’ award and the HRA ‘Station of the Year’ categories. The HRA represents over 300 heritage railways, tramways, cliff railways and museums across the UK with the awards considered as the ‘Oscars’ of the Heritage Railway Industry.
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway has been awarded SILVER in Devon’s 2024 – 2025 tourism event / festival of the year category by the Devon Tourism Awards. The award celebrates the annual Lynton & Lynmouth Steampunk Gathering, hosted by the Cliff Railway, which has grown to become Devon’s largest Steampunk & Victorian event. The announcement was made at the Devon Tourism Awards Ceremony in November 2024. The annual competition, now in its 15th year, saw hundreds of entries across Devon’s tourism business.
The award is the only industry accolade based on professional reviews and recognises businesses that have been consistently rated as outstanding by professional reviewers. Less than 2% of businesses receive an award making it a distinctive honour and recognises Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway as one of the highest rated attractions in Exmoor National Park and one of only three railways receiving the award in the UK
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway has been COMMENDED in Devon’s 2021/22 Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism of the Year category with the Devon Tourism Awards. The announcement was made during the Devon Tourism Awards Ceremony in March 2022. The annual competition, now in its 12th year, saw entries across Devon tourism business with awards presented in 24 categories the category winner, Gold, was awarded to The Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter.
The National Transport Trust has awarded the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway the coveted ‘Red Wheel’ award. The award recognises the railway’s importance as a Transport Heritage Site and has been awarded in recognition of the unique water powered nature of the railway. The Red Wheel heritage plaque seeks to highlight the most important sites of transport heritage and the cliff railway now joins the 125 heritage sites across the UK that have achieved ‘Red Wheel’ status.
Green Tourism has awarded Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway a ‘Gold’ status. This recognises that the Cliff Railway is achieving the highest category for sustainable and ethical tourism. The award demonstrates a hallmark of ‘green quality’ and an ongoing commitment towards responsible environmentally-friendly practice, including the conservation of the local environment, its economy, the support of local ethical suppliers, and ensuring a happy, valued, and eco-aware workforce.
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway has been awarded SILVER in Devon’s 2020 Visitor Attraction of the Year category with the Devon Tourism Awards, the Cliff Railway was also Highly Commended in the Tourism Innovation category. The announcement was made during the Devon Tourism Awards Ceremony in March 2021. The annual competition, now in its 11th year, saw over 124 entries across Devon tourism business with awards presented in 24 categories the category winner, Gold, was awarded to Pennywell Farm, Buckfastleigh.
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway is a proud member of the North Devon Biosphere Business Partner scheme. The North Devon Biosphere was UK’s first UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and is here to inspire a positive future by connecting visitors with nature, culture, heritage and the landscape that makes this North Devon & Exmoor region worthy of the UNESCO designation. The Cliff Railway is committed to a number of conservational pledges, including wildflower planting areas of the site, installing bird boxes, conservation events, and the promotion of ongoing sustainability and green values within tourism.
The Heritage Railway Association has declared the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway as the category winner for 2020s ‘Large Groups’ award. The award was presented in recognition of the ongoing development of the railway, particularly the recent work in redesigning and replacing the top wheel system and our ongoing commitment to heritage, and sustaining the attraction for future generations.