Ilfracombe Museum heads what Ilfracombe has to see
Ilfracombe and its surroundings hold 3 museums, an aquarium and a theme park. We list 2 places to visit inside Ilfracombe’s built-up area and 6 within 5 km of its edge. 2 stand within 1 km of the centre, close enough to walk between. A drive of 11 km brings you to Arlington Court.
Where to start in Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe Museum aside, the next best known are 2 museums, an aquarium and a theme park.
MuseumIlfracombe Museumin townAquariumAquariumIlfracombe Aquariumin town
Theme parkWatermouth Castle2.5 km outside town, to the east
Historic houseChambercombe Manor600 m outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumHele Cornmill500 m outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumCombe Martin Museum4.8 km outside town, to the eastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Around Ilfracombe, mapped
Most of the 6 close by lie to the east.
The dashed line is Ilfracombe’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
Sorted by kind
Most are museums or galleries, 3 in all, ahead of zoos, theme parks or other days out (2).
Green: inside Ilfracombe. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
Everything to see
First the 2 in town, then the 6 within 5 km of its edge.
The 2 inside Ilfracombe come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
128 listed buildings are on Ilfracombe’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Ilfracombe →
Within a day
Best known of the 10 within reach is Arlington Court, at 11 km.
Historic house · National TrustArlington Court11 km southeast
CastleBarnstaple Castle14 km south
Heritage railwayLynton and Barnstaple Railway15 km southeast
Castle · CadwCastell Oxwich39 km north
ZooExmoor Zoo15 km southeast
MuseumNorth Devon Maritime Museum18 km south
GardenRHS Garden Rosemoor30 km south
CastleCastle Hill24 km southeast
Abbey or prioryHartland Abbey36 km southwestCastleCastleMarisco Castle38 km westPlaces well known beyond Ilfracombe (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Visiting Ilfracombe: the answers
What are the main attractions in Ilfracombe?
The best known inside Ilfracombe’s built-up area are Ilfracombe Museum and Ilfracombe Aquarium. In all, 2 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 6 more within 5 km.
Does Ilfracombe have a museum?
3 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Ilfracombe: Ilfracombe Museum, Hele Cornmill and Combe Martin Museum.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Ilfracombe?
None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Arlington Court (National Trust), 11 km southeast.
What are the best-known days out near Ilfracombe?
Within 40 km: Arlington Court (11 km), Barnstaple Castle (14 km), Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (15 km), Castell Oxwich (39 km).
Where are Ilfracombe’s historic buildings listed?
Ilfracombe has 128 listed buildings, 2 of them Grade I. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Ilfracombe when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (12)
- Ilfracombe Museum: Betty Longbottom, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Watermouth Castle: own photo, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chambercombe Manor: David Seale, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arlington Court: xlibber, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Barnstaple Castle: Jack1956, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lynton and Barnstaple Railway: Gareth James, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castell Oxwich: Pam Brophy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Exmoor Zoo: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- North Devon Maritime Museum: Rob Noble, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- RHS Garden Rosemoor: Patche99z, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Castle Hill: own photo, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hartland Abbey: Greenshed, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
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