2025-07-29 Ilfracombe

In the height of summer, Ilfracombe feels like a coastal town in full bloom — the harbour alive with visitors, fishing boats, and the steady presence of the RNLI lifeboats ready for their next call, while Damien Hirst’s striking harbour statue rises above it all like a modern sentinel watching over the bay. The Victorian terraces glow in warm light, the sea shifts between turquoise and slate, and the promenade fills with the easy rhythm of holiday wanderers drifting between ice‑cream shops, galleries, and the curve of the cliffs. Up on the headlands, sweeping views open toward the Bristol Channel, and the mix of lively seaside energy and rugged coastline gives Ilfracombe a summer character that feels both vibrant and timeless.