Lympstone
| Lympstone | |
|---|---|
 Lympstone river frontage from Cliff Field: Peter's Tower and the traditional washing poles on the beach are visible | |
%22%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22middle%22%20fill%3D%22%2354595d%22%20font-size%3D%2216%22%20font-family%3D%22sans-serif%22%3ELympstone%20is%20located%20in%20Devon%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)  Lympstone Location within Devon | |
| Population | 2,117 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SX990839 |
| Civil parish |
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| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | EXMOUTH |
| Postcode district | EX8 |
| Dialling code | 01395 |
| Police | Devon and Cornwall |
| Fire | Devon and Somerset |
| Ambulance | South Western |
| UK Parliament | |
Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon, in the English county of Devon. It lies on the eastern bank of the River Exe estuary, approximately 2 mi (3.2 km) north-west of Exmouth and 11 mi (18 km) south-east of Exeter. The parish had a population of 2,117 at the 2021 census.
The village has a small harbour on the Exe estuary, situated at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia. The promontory to the north of the harbour is topped by Cliff Field, a flat pasture managed by the National Trust and used for football matches and local events.
Lympstone is served by the Avocet Line via Lympstone Village railway station, with services running between Exmouth and Exeter.
The village is known for Peter's Tower, an Italianate riverside clock tower built around 1885 by W.H. Peters as a memorial to his wife, and for its longstanding tradition of residents drying washing on the foreshore. The riverside houses back directly onto the shore without a continuous seawall, and access passages between them and the beach are fitted with metal flood gates closed during high tides via a local warning system.
Lympstone hosts the annual Furry Dance on the first Saturday in August, a village tradition involving processions in fancy dress accompanied by a brass band, which attracts visitors from across the region.
Lympstone Manor (formerly Courtlands House) is a historic country house overlooking the Exe estuary which now operates as a hotel and restaurant.
The parish church is the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Lympstone, which forms a central historic landmark within the village.
Near the village is the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM), the principal training establishment of the Royal Marines. The centre is served by the private Lympstone Commando railway station (not open to the public) on the Exeter–Exmouth branch line.