The tunnels beaches is a bonkers idea really. Ilfracombe became a very popular holiday destination in the 1800s and 1900s with the rise of train travel enabling humble working class folk to take holidays. The seaside holiday was in high fashion and while Ilfracombe harbour has a small beach, and Wildersmouth beach is mostly under water in high tide, the Victorians need more.
There are wonderful beaches the other side of the Tors hill: a ridge that rises steeply up from Wildersmouth beach and boasts craggy, cliffy beaches on the outer edge not reachable easily.
The folk of the time weren’t put off: they engineered a great bloody tunnel right through the cliffs to create easy access to the largest beach near Ilfracombe. You can learn more at the wonderful Ilfracombe museum.
It is comprised of a few bays with additional interconnecting tunnels so you aren’t cut off by the high tides.
A “bathing pool” was cut into the rocks so that as the tide went out and came in, a shallow and relatively safe bathing areas was created.
Of course to pay for such a project in private land, there has always been a fee to access the tunnels beaches (that remains to this day).
The tunnels beach now boasts a wonderful custom-built cafe and viewing area with a venue that is a very popular wedding destination for people in search of an unusual beachside wedding venue.
The original changing house (known as the Bath House) has been converted into luxury accommodation for wedding guests and holidaymakers. Seacroft is a mere 5 mins walk to the Tunnels so is a perfect place to stay if you are looking for wedding guest accommodation.
There are wonderful historical boards at the tunnels detailing its unusual history and also outlining some of the bathing and etiquette rules demanded by the Victorians. They are worth a visit in themselves and can be viewed at the entrance to the tunnels.
The tunnels beaches are really a very unique place and just go to show that a small matter like a huge cliff and hill is not going to stop us enjoy the beautiful north Devon coastline!
