Sir George Newnes seated in the back of his Renault car. The cliff railway was originally used to take cars between the two villages of Lynmouth and Lynton as Lynmouth Hill was only a dirt track and impassable to cars because of the less powerful engines. This practice died out as cars became more powerful but, in 1952, the lift was used again to move cars during the flood - Circa 1900 Photographer unknown - Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway.